Eustass Kid's hunt for a man!
by Tally Mai-chan
Summary: Eustass Kid is cursed. He has to have sex with a man before the Winter Solstice or else. Rebecka and Kathline must help him find a way to break the curse but it won't be easy. Obstacles around each corner, plotting minds, and no pants! ON HIATUS
1. The Mysterious Magic Book

TallyMai-chan: Sorry for any errors! I try to catch them before they get here but I'm my own worst editor.

Chapter 1: The mysterious magic book

* * *

"The next One Piece chapter comes out today." Rebecka Thornson smiled to her friend starring devotedly to her laptop's screen.

"I know! I keep refreshing the page. I hope it updates soon." Kathline Reevus sighed dramatically. "It's killing me not knowing what's going to happen to Luffy."

Rebecka nodded in agreement, plopping herself onto the old green couch in her basement. "I wonder when Kid shows up again." It was a simple question but she knew how Kathline felt about it.

Kathline's green eyes flared up, as she spun around in her chair, dark brown locks whipping across her face. "Damnit Becky! You'll jinx the whole series with that question! He'll show up again! He damn well will!"

Becky laughed. "Seeing you all hot and bothered by him is amusing Kat."

Kat scowled, "I'm just not taking any chances."

"Oh yes, because you not wondering where Kid is in the story will make him show up all the sooner."

"Yes it will!" Kat hissed before swiveling back around to face the computer. "Where is that freaking update!"

Rebecka shook her head from embarrassment, her long red hair falling around her blue eyes. While this was her house, and the basement her room Kat had somehow taken over. Kat practically lived at her house anyways, what with her parents and all but the small brunette had all the say in decor.

The large basement, one big room with a door leading to the stairs, a bathroom in the far right corner and a side room where they slept in was their 'Bat Cave' or 'Fangirl Cave' as they lovingly called it. The TV was surrounded by anime DVD's, most of which were One Piece. The right hand wall with the computer table was covered by a lattice work of wooden shelves stocked with manga, mostly One Piece and even had a few art books.

Neither of them could draw. Kat had some talent for it but had neither the patience or the time to get any better at it. Both of them though, were exceptional writers. Being in honers English classes since the 8th grade they were just starting their junior year of high school.

Rebecka turned to look at the wall behind her. She stared at the ribbons and honors they have won for their essays or short stories. Rebecka was the only one to care about them. She wanted to write for a career. Kathline did it for the scholarships.

"I hate writing for those stupid contests." Kat once said to her after a ceremony. "I write because it's fun and you can do anything you want to."

Rebecka glanced to her friend, the girl's eyes practically glued to the screen. "I have an idea." She suddenly said, feeling ambitious. "My aunt sent me a book on magic, and I don't mean the tricks, I mean real magic."

Kat glanced over from the corner of her eye. "It's not black magic is it?"

Rebecka thought for a moment. "I'm not sure."

"You know how I feel about that stuff." Kat said lowly. Rebecka nodded, remembering her friend's fear of the occult.

"It's not like the stuff you see in movies." She calmly explained. "My aunt is a bit eccentric, she's very good at finding rare and unusual things. It might be some lost Asian magic from a thousand years ago."

Kat was only slightly hesitant in her response. "I guess we could try it... just because One Piece hasn't updated..."

Rebecka nodded and ran upstairs to the front door, only five feet away from the top of the stairwell. Her obnoxious brother was already there. He was a year older than her but acted like a snot nosed six year old.

"Having fun without a life." He said casually. "Don't hurt your eyes from sitting in front of a computer screen all day."

"Go kiss a dog's rear you jerk." Rebecka snarled, grabbing the medium sized package from beside the door. It was already open, and bits of Styrofoam peanuts littered the floor.

"At least I don't pretend to make out with cartoon characters." The blond haired boy shouted as she ran back downstairs. Kat was frowning she came in.

"I really hate his guts." She whispered.

"Forget him. Let's take a look at this book." Rebecka smiled, setting the box in the floor between the couch and the TV. Kat sat cross legged beside her and started to play with the peanuts that fell out of the box. When Rebeca pulled out the book she was surprised it was still in one piece. The tattered and rugged bounding was torn and holding on by threads in many places. The dull, dark green color and scratches of what looked like some old language in a nasty peach color didn't look too promising.

She carefully set the book down flat on the floor and started to explore the book. Kat turned the first page to fast and the aged paper tore out silently. They were more carefully after that.

"It's so old, but you can still make out the pictures." Kat noted, looking at a diagram of what looked like a big circles with many smaller interlocking circles inside. "Is this Chinese?"

"I don't know." Rebecka said slowly, turning the next page. A picture of people in foreign clothing that she didn't recognize popped out at her. They were standing before a large fire doing some kind of ritual. Rebecka thought she could see something strange in the fire, she figured that it was just worn or something.

"I wish I could understand this." Kat said dismally. Rebecka gave her a strange look.

"Are you sure you want to keep reading? This looks a lot like black magic to me."

Kat shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. This doesn't scare me for some reason."

"Why don't we go the the library." Rebecka suggested. "Maybe we'll find something to help us there."

Kat eyed the book untrustingly. "I doubt this thing could handle any more travel."

"Let's just take a picture then."

Kat nodded and went to the computer table, opening drawers. She stopped suddenly, her hand flying to the mouse. "One Piece updated!" She turned excitedly to Rebecka. "Let's do that tomorrow, we have school off that day anyways. I want to read the new chapter."

Rebecka shook her head in a knowing way. Kat's idea of reading the new chapter was re-reading the last hundred chapters and then reading the new one. "I guess, why is there so many days off at the beginning of the year anyways?"

"I'm not complaining."

* * *

The two junior girls rode on their bikes down the old winding road to the only library in the county. Tall leafy trees, some starting to turn color for the fall season fanned their branches above them. A cool breeze grabbed Kathline, making her wish she had her jacket, not just shorts and a blue tank top. Rebecka looked smug in her baggy jeans and green hoodie.

"Where should we start." Said Rebekca, one hand on the bike handle, the other wrapped around a manila portfolio that held the pictures of the magic book.

"We should figure out what culture or group the people are in the book. That would give us a good start. I can check the encyclopedia."

"I'll look in the countries section."

"Okay agent Becky." Kat grinned. "This is your mission should you choose to accept it. Find out all you can about the magic book! Your bike will blow up in five seconds."

They turned the corner and the library was in sight, not a hundred yards away. Kat started a countdown, rising her voice as she neared zero. Rebecka jumped from her bike just as Kat started to mouth the number one. She landed neatly on her feet and her bike didn't take too much damage either for that matter. Kat made explosion noises, miming along with her sound effects.

"You're too good from the drama club." Becky said sarcastically. Kat grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

* * *

"Hey Becky. You find anything?" Kat sat down beside her friend at a table near the adults section.

"It's Asian." Was all Rebecka said from behind a pile of books.

"I can do one better. The writing? Super early Chinese. Like when it was first being created. I found a collage that studies early Chinese writing online and it had some examples. Words like day and fire. There in the book."

"There's not much on early Chinese." Rebecka sighed, picking up another book and flipping through it. "It's all vague and mostly guess work. Let's go back and look through the magic book some more. We stopped about halfway right?"

Kat nodded grimly, suddenly serious."We have something big here. I mean, really big. Scholars would kill to have this book. It's like some big puzzle piece. Like we discovered One Piece!"

Rebecka nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "Maybe that's what One Piece is. The adventure of going after one's dreams."

* * *

"Beka." Rebecka's mom meet them at the door, her tired face and flat blond hair making her look twenty years older. She worked late at night till early in the morning doing some kind of work. Rebecka never knew what kind of job her mother had but she didn't want to know. Her mother smiled uncertainly. "Your brother is downstairs in the basement... he took strange things down with him."

The two girls looked to each other, communicating with that brief glance before dashing for the stairs, jumping down them. Kat slipped and fell, landing on her butt painfully but she was instantly up. They hit the door, finding it locked.

"James you snake-faced, hairspray sniffing, truck-stick jerk unlock this door right now!"

"Nice insults." Kat huffed unimpressed. "There are cuss words for a reason ya know."

"Shuush!" Came the sarcastic reply from the other side. "I'm in the middle of a ritual!"

"He's not..." Kat whispered, both of them thinking of the book.

Rebecka started to pound on the door screaming, "What did you do!" She snarled viscously and kicked at the door repeatedly. The thin wood cracking after the first hit. After the fifth kick her foot knocked through. Sharp wood pieces dug into her skin and when she pulled her leg out the bottom of her jeans were stained with red.

Kat opened the door by putting her hand through the newly formed hole and ran in. James was right in front of them, the magic book on a wide wooden stool with rose pedals scattered in a circle around it. There was a flame lit in a metal bowl filled with gasoline.

Kat screamed, recalling movies about black magic with parallel scenes. Rebecka charged her brother. She took pride in being a level headed person in intense situations but at that moment she didn't care. She wanted to murder him then and there.

He grabbed her wrists and spun her around, pinning them to her back. "I was just trying to help you out." He chuckled. "I just wanted to send you to your precious cartoon world." He let her go without preamble and walked back upstairs, closing the door as he went.

Kat leaned against the wall, her eyes closed. Rebecka walked over to her, hugging her soothingly. "It's not that bad Kat. You're thinking it's worse than what it really is." Kat nodded and Rebecka slowly stood back. The brunette looked at the book, the rose pedals then to the fire. Tears started to water in her eyes but she blinked them back.

"We... we haven't looked at that page yet." She said with a slight stutter. Rebecka nodded encouragingly and together they walked over to the book. On the page was a picture of a ritual alter. "It's exactly like it." Kat said, "And look, that's the word for fire right there."

Rebecka remembered her brothers words. "Like this could take us to the One Piece world."

"Every fangirls' dream." Kat said with a forced laugh.

"I wish I- we" She corrected after a glare from Kat. "Could go to the One Piece world. Just to get away from my sna-"

"bastard"

"ke-face brother."

The temperature suddenly dropped. Their breaths coming out in clouds of white. Kat went ridged, her eyes wide. Rebecka cringed as if she was stuck by a bolt of lightning. She wanted to scream but her mouth wouldn't move. It was like a current of electricity was running through the air, making it hard to breathe or even think. Kat grabbed her and pointed to the fire.

Rebecka couldn't believe what she saw.

In the fire's orange center a small image started to appear. It was small and hard to see, like looking through binoculars. They saw wide open ocean, could even smell the salt in the thick ocean air. Hazy islands were off distant horizon and they could just make out the shape of ship sailing to one.

Rebecka started to lean forward, her nose almost pressed into the fire. Kat was right behind her, hypnotized by what they were seeing. Then, it was gone. The gasoline in the bowl burned out and the fire vanished in an instant.

"Wha-what was that." Rebekca breathed, the room returning to normal.

"Before it vanished. Did you see the ship?" Kat said excitedly.

"The one with the giant skull on the helm?"

"You bet."

* * *

"Something wrong captain?" Said Killer, watching his captain look around the open ocean.

"It felt like... someone was watching us."

"But where out in the middle of the ocean."

"Che. When do we reach land."

"In an hour sir."

"Good. I need some beer. Make sure you buy enough for the next time we set out."

"Yes sir."

* * *

TallyMai-chan: Mostly exposition but the good stuff is yet to come! Eustass Kid is a main character in this story, he's just taking his time working into the story! So it's a bit slow, sorry about that! I'll try really hard to keep it exciting! Please don't think this is one of those stories where girls from our world get sent into the One Piece world. It's sorta like that but this will be so much better. I guarantee it.


	2. Cursed!

Chapter 2: Cursed!

* * *

"We need some kind of flower. I think different flowers have different effects." Rebecka started to scratch down notes in a small notebook. She lounged across the couch, the magic book placed delicately on a pillow beside her. She carefully turned all the pages, taking pictures as she went. "You never know what might happen." She explained to Kat who was complaining about using up the battery. Kat couldn't argue with her logic.

"And I'm sure you want to triple back up all those pictures as well." Kat remarked dryly. Rebecka looked up, the way her eyes narrowed her her lip curved just slightly at the end Kat knew that she would die before she lost the pictures. Kat could feel her paranoia start to creep into her mind.

"Don't talk about the book falling apart! Why don't was just take it apart and laminate everything." She shouted, "I had a nightmare last night. I picked up the book and it turned to dust. Then the dust started swirling around me in a hurricane of black magic, sucking my soul out from my mouth and onm noming on it as it possessed my body!"

"I want to try the ritual thing again." Rebecka said slowly, carefully sitting up so not to hit the book. "There's something to this Kat. It's not just a mystery, it's an adventure! Isn't this the kind of thing we're always writing about! You write because it's fun. I write because it let's me do things I could never do. It let's me live the life I could never have, but now... but now... This isn't a story! At least I hope it's not some story. No, it's not! I'm just, so excited about this! Finally, I can have the life I could only dream about."

"Woah there girlie. One step at a time. Hell, that's supposed to be your line!" Kat was very serious when she said this but it was like they has switched places. Rebecka was the serious one, not the dreamer. They burst out laughing together. Kat nearly burst into another laughing fit when Rebecka fell of the side of the couch.

She propped herself up, pausing to catch her breath. Wordlessly she looked from Kat to the stand surrounded by wilted rose pedals. It has been a week since their first experience with the book's magic. Only Kat was shy to try again.

"R-right now? Shouldn't we get new flowers or something. It might not work with wilted ones. Do we have to do it today even. I have homework!Wait! I wasn't supposed to think about the test our science teacher is giving! Crap, I'm gonna fail it. Must... cram!" Kat motioned dramatically with her arms, and speaking with a high, theatrical voice.

"We can't afford to buy new flowers right now. Besides, we want to experiment with this for a while don't we? It's Friday so we can have the whole weekend to do this. You're not chickening out are you?" Rebecka said challengingly. Kat froze where she sat at the computer table, her emotions torn.

Rebecka laid on the pressure and she caved. Kat, contenting herself to mutter about 'peer pressure', ran upstairs to get oil. She asked why they didn't use gasoline but Rebecka said oil would last longer.

They set up the stand, Rebecka placing the book on top. Producing an old cloth wick they dipped it in the oil and laid it partly into the bowl. Rebecka took a match and lit the wick.

The fire instantly caught, it's glow splashing across their faces. "What now?" Asked Kat from behind Rebecka.

"I don't know." Rebecka said. "Duplicate what we did before?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "Okay then. First we have to shout at the top of our lungs, kick a door down, get our butts kicked by an annoying boy and say 'we wish to go to the One Piece world'.

"I think we can skip most of that..."

"You said to duplicate the-" She stopped suddenly. Before Rebecka could wonder why she felt cold air circle around her. The room grew frigid. Kat ran to their room quickly, coming back with two wool comforters. Rebecka started to say thanks when a jolt ran through their bodies. They were too stunned to speak for a moment. Gradually the feeling faded.

"That wasn't as bad as last time." Rebecka dryly commented pulling a comforter around her. Kat nodded, her wide eyes focused on the fire. Inside the small flame was an ocean, vast and blue. A strange notion came to Rebecka. It was only a theory but she had to prove it. "Kat, what were you thinking about last time we looked into the fire?"

"I was... uh..." Kat started to blush.

"I thought about sailing across the ocean in a ship." Rebecka admitted.

Kat turned away to not look Rebecka in the eye before saying. " I was thinking about... Eustass Kid."

"Start thinking about him again." Rebecka ordered. Kat jumped back slightly.

"W-why? What do you want me to think about? If I think something pervy this thing wont suck my soul in or something." Kat believed she had every reason to be scared. In all the black magic movies the perverted one went first. Rebecka promised she would be fine and that she'd think dirtier things. Kat didn't know why she just do it herself but Rebecka insisted that they both try.

"It worked!" Rebecka cheered, seeing an image of Kid laying on his bed.

"He looks so real, not like in the manga." A red blush crept across her cheeks. "He's even hotter."

Eustass Kid tensed where he was, his eyes darting around the room. Kat was to far into lala land to notice but Rebecka caught it.

"I think... he can hear us." She said in a barely audible whisper. Kat looked at her shocked.

"I said he was hot and you tell me he heard it!"

Eustass Kid jumped up. "Who the hell is here!"

The two girls closed their mouths, though Kat couldn't help but comment that his voice was almost identical to the Japanese anime voicing. Kid started to trash his room, looking around every nook and cranny.

"Show yourself now!" He yelled, his eyes sharp.

Rebecka swallowed hard, knowing that what she was about to do was stupid. "We can't."

* * *

Kid flinched, hearing a girl's voice but unable to discern where it came from. He started swearing every word he knew-all learned when fighting Marines-until he his eyes caught the oil lamp hanging beside the door into his cabin. He looked into the fire and saw two girls. A relaxed red-head and a scared, blushing brunette.

"What. The. Hell" He started swearing again.

"You can see us?" The red haired girl said, quickly hiding her surprise behind a delicately raised eyebrow.

"Who the hell are you." Kid growled. His thin eyebrows bunching together menacingly. If looks could kill the two girls would have died the moment they saw his fierce eyes. He saw the brunette jump back in fear, and starting to hyperventilate. The other girl was more calm. Stronger, Kid thought.

She was the first was to break the silence that had crept between them. "I'm Rebecka, and this is my friend slash sister Kathline. I'm sure you're wondering what's going on."

Kid huffed, a wicked smile playing at his lips. "Oh no, It's completely normal for two brats to appear in a fire. What the hell do you think bitch."

Rebecka tensed at the foul name pointed at her but kept up her cool attitude. "There's no point in lieing. My aunt sent me a magic book and my jockstrap-for-brains brother followed one of the... ceremonies shown in a picture. Long story short he's an idiot and we accidentally initiated the magic of the book. I believe that it created a portal between our world and yours."

Kathline said quickly. "And by jockstrap-for-brains she meant bastard."

"Your world?" Kid questioned, ignoring Kathline.

Kat must have been feeling ambitious, for she pushed Rebecka back to get a better look into the fire. Rebecka would later describe it as temporary insanity.

"We're aliens okay. Deal with it."

"Kat!" Rebecka shouted appalled. She was not an alien! Kid threw his head back in laughter. "Don't listen to her!" Rebecka shouted. "We're from an alternate universe."

"Hey." Kid smirked. "I don't care if you're aliens, monsters or demons from hell. If I know one thing then that's you don't go tromping around with magic."

"Says the man who ate a devil fruit." Kat muttered.

"What." Said Kid sharply, his eyes focusing in on Kat. The poor girl felt like a knife had logged its self between her eyebrows when his eyes found hers.

"What." The girl could only dumbly repeat.

"How the hell did you know I have a devil fruit."

Kat struggled to find an answer. She saw the episodes, read the manga hundreds of times. Even Rebecka failed to see how such a thing mattered. Kid showed off his devil fruit, she knew that much from the manga. Kat's face turned red with anger. She slammed her hands down on the magic book. Rebecka gasped, both startled and scared for the book.

"I don't need to tell you that." She snapped.

Kid let out a growl, almost a snarl. "I just got my fruit power. How the hell do you know about it!"

"I can know what I want to know!"

"Tell me bitch!"

"No!" Kat screamed, thinking the most foulest thing she could think of, and imaging it happening to Kid. Rebecka wished she could slap them both for acting so childish.

Two things started to happen simultaneously, for both the heroines and Kid. For the girls, the wilted rose pedals started to glow purple, a flash of light enveloped the book for three seconds and faded away, the Chinese lettering glowing dark purple. On Kid's end. White light enveloping his left arm, then vanishing, leaving a burning sensation in it's wake.

Before anyone could say anything the oil burned out and the portal was lost.

* * *

Eustass Kid gritted his teeth in pain as the dull purple outline of a Chinese dragon slowly, agonizingly sketched itself onto his right arm. That stupid brat did something to him. What the hell did that brat do to him? Kid let out a muted hiss, the pain slowly dieing away.

Someone knocked on the door to his room.

"Captain?" Killer asked from the other side. "The log post is acting strange, we can't figure out why."

"Tell the crew not to do anything until I get there." Kid was surprised at how even his voice was. "If I ever..." he said under his breath. "If I ever see those girls again I'll kill them."

* * *

"What the popstick did you do!" Rebecka exclaimed, throwing her hands up over her head. Chills running down Kat's spine, her face turning an ominous shade of green. Rebecka grabbed her and practically threw her into the bathroom. Kat's stomach knocked into the edge of the toilet hard and she spilled her stomach out into the white bowl. Her body convulsing sickeningly as she ejected everything from her stomach.

"Um... Becky..." Kat whimpered, her left arm stretched out before her and turned upwards. Rebecka walked into the bathroom and gasped at the sight on her friends arm.

Like an old tattoo was the faded image of a tiger, standing on it's back legs, powerful forelimbs poised to strike. It's teeth bared in a snarl. At the very tip of the tiger's tail was a bright purple line, not half the length of a tack.

"Oh no... oh no no no no no...no! This is not happening!" Kat gasped, clutching her arm. She twisted to the side, falling halfway into the bathtub. She turned on the water, making it as hot as possible. She rubbed tirelessly at the tattoo with an old rag. She rubbed her arm to the point of making the skin raw.

"Stop!" Rebecka pulled her away from the tub, shutting off the water. "That's not going to solve anything! There must be a logic explanation for this... there must be."

Tears spilled from Kat's eyes. "I hate magic!" She cried. "Dammit... I knew this would happen! I just knew it."

Rebecka stared at the floor. It was all her fault. She just has to go tampering with magic. Because of her something strange is happening to her friend and she doesn't know how to fix it. Rebecka turned to Kat, thinking she could only do one thing. Apologize.

"I'm sorry"

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: Yay, chapter two. I really like this story, I keep getting idea's for it. So please tell me what you think! I love getting comments. They make my day totally special.


	3. If you were gay, that 'a be okay

Chapter 3: If you were gay, that 'a be okay

* * *

Kat's dexterous fingers moved as a blur as she typed a well written e-mail the the Collage of Ridgeway, Department of Early Chinese Languages. It was easy finding the site, getting the e-mail address was like pulling wisdom teeth.

"Are we sure we want to do this?" Kat asked nervously as Rebecka worked on the scanner, putting pictures of the book inside it.

"We have no other choice." Rebecka replied. "We need to know exactly what happened. This Collage is our only hope of figuring out what's going on."

"Okay... but we're going to try to get rid of this... tattoo... first though right? It's really starting to creep me out. Like that little purple line, it grew! See! It's longer now!"

Rebecka nodded, as Kat turned the back of her left arm out. The tiny purple line at the end grew twice as long. It's only been a day since their encounter with Eustass Kid but to Rebecka and Kat it was much longer than that.

"There... done" Said Kat, finishing her e-mail with a flourish. "And send. I wonder when they'll write back. I hope those pictures were enough to pry their interest." Kat's eyes feel the the tattoo on her arm, her face passive. "I'm going to go for a walk." She declared suddenly.

Rebecka watched her go, feeling a pang of guilt course through her. She leaned back in her chair, starting contemplatively at the computer screen. She thought about a lot of things, her brain struggling to make sense of everything. She was intelligent, she could solve any problem that she came across but this... this was something beyond her.

Rebecka stood up slowly, walking to the stool that the book sat on. She had gotten more oil from the tool shed in the backyard and even stole some of her neighbors flowers. She lit the new wick and pictured Eustass Kid in her head.

He was in the same place as last time, laying flat on his bed. White bandages were wrapped around his right arm.

"Hello." Rebecka said calmly. Kid's head turned and his eyes meet her's, sending a shiver of fright down her spine. Something terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. "Sorry to intrude."

"Ever heard of knocking bitch." Kid growled.

Rebecka eyed him coolly, "What happened to your right arm?"

Kid rolled of his bed and pressed his face close to the fire showing Rebecka. "You better hope you and your bitch friend never meet me in real life, because I'll kill the both of you."

There was sadness in Rebecka's voice when she answered. "I probably deserve it."

Kid tore at the bandages on his arms, reviling the dragon tattoo. "This." He held his arm up to the flame. "This is what you did to me, tell me what the hell did you do."

"We don't know." said Rebecka. "We don't know but we're trying to figure it out right now. You're not the only one affected. A tiger is on Kat's left arm. Tell me, is any part of the dragon bright?"

"Yeah."

"I'll figure this out." And she broke of the connection.

Eustass Kid started into the fire, seeing nothing but orange and red flicker across the glass casing. Why the hell was his life suddenly turned around by two girls? Anger raged through him and so did the helplessness that he could do nothing.

He methodically wrapped a new bandage around his arm. He had convinced he crew it was burn from the oil lamp, he doubted they believed it. Nonetheless they never made inquires. Kid almost felt sorry for the next fool that crossed him. He'll murder them before they could blink.

* * *

Kathline didn't come back from her walk until late that night. She let herself in with the key hidden in the flower pot outside the door and sulked down the stairs. The first thing she saw was the magic book, laying harmlessly on the wooden stool. A ring of white roses around it. Rebecka was asleep on the couch. Kat didn't worry about her waking up, Becky was a very heavy sleeper. So heavy that it was near impossible to wake her up before she did so naturally.

Kat was hesitant to go near the book again. She wanted to go to the book. She wanted to go back to the One Piece world. Kathline carefully lit the partially burned wick. The bright flame cast an eerie glow in the dark room. She felt fear bubble up inside her, the flame her only island in a sea of darkness.

Slowly a large ship came into view and Red Haired shanks could be seen standing at the bow of his ship. It was night and the stars usually bright against the dark night sky. Kat watchied him for a few moments. His face was lit by a fire she couldn't see. She remembered Kid could see them before through a fire in his room.

Shanks sighed, troubled, and turned to the fire. His eyes meet Kat's in stunned silence.

"Are you a fire fairy." He said seriously. It took all of Kat's will not to laugh.

"No, I'm a girl from another dimension using a magic book to create a portal from my world to yours."

Shanks laughed lightheartedly. "Oh really? That's great! I should throw a party! It's not often one meet's someone from another dimension!"

"You really do love to throw parties." Kat laughed with him. Giggling when she saw that Shanks already had a cup of alcohol in hand. "I'm too young to drink though."

"Aw, you are." Shanks made a pouting face but before Kat knew it he was smiling again. "It's okay to bend a few rules every now and then! And who doesn't drink at their own party! Though I am curious, what dose a girl from another dimension want with me?"

* * *

Sunday morning never agreed with Rebecka. There was just something about Sundays that irritated her. It was the last day of the weekend, it was church day, and it was the day her father left. The basement lights were on when Rebecka opened her eyes. The large clock on the wall above the computer told her it was just five minutes after eleven o' clock.

She sat up, stretching out her back and slowly rolling her neck. She wondered if her mother was home. Kat walked in from the other room, fully dressed and brushing her hair. She saw the tattoo on Kat's arm, the small line was longer. It was a marker of time. She thought suddenly. It's counting down to something. She didn't say anything about, suggesting they go get breakfast.

She tried not to think about what would happen when the tattoo was fully outlined.

* * *

They didn't get a reply from the collage until Thursday. The Department of Early Chinese Languages or DECL was very excited to hear about their book. In the girl's e-mail they said that they won't give up the actually book but send pictures of it's pages. The students of DECL were disappointed at this but respected their wishes. They had translated most of the pages they sent and they expressed their great curiosity at the rest.

The pages they sent had described a curse, the purpose of this curse is unknown but it was a sort of lovers curse. Kat paled considerably at the 'lovers' part and when Rebecka read the rest of the note she feared the girl would faint.

"The next solstice... the winter solstice..."

"Becky..." Kat asked nervously. "What are you talking about..."

Rebecka paused before answering. "The curse lasts until the solstice where it... well it's vague but something to do with the soul or body. Either way it's something bad. The curse is a lover's curse, why or how is unknown. This is just my theory but the book's magic works through our thoughts. We open a portal and think about where we want to go and we go there. You get angry and wish harm on someone well then you curse them. What were you thinking about when the curse happened?"

Kat's face grew hot and said nothing for several long seconds, when she tried to speak she choked over her own words. Eventually she explained what she thought and Rebecka didn't know if she should be shocked or amazed.

"You are a pervert." She finally commented.

"Sh-shut up!" Kat shouted, her face redder than a tomato. "I hate yoai with Eustass Kid in it cuz he's too badass for it but he got me really, really pissed and I thought it'd be... just deserts if he had to... do it with a man or die..."

"Well that's exactly what you did Kat. Don't you know to be careful of what you wish for."

"I know that!" Kat threw herself on the couch, curling up into a ball. "I know that! I know that ! I know that! Oh god what have I done." She sat up, a look of pure horror on her face. "Whose going to tell Kid! He'll kill me! He'll kill me! I'm to young to die at the hands of a hot guy! There's so much I wanted to do before I died! Can't we just not ever tell him? Yeah that will work. All we have to do is put the book in a chest and bury it! Like in Jumanji! Then it'll be someone else's problem!"

"Kat!" Rebecka snapped. "We have to tell him! You're effected by the curse as well! If he doesn't have sex with a man before the winter solstice then both of you could die!"

Tears streamed down Kat's eyes as she cried quietly to herself for several minutes. Rebecka left her alone, knowing it was just her way of accepting things. Rebecka lit the fire and opened the portal. For a moment she thought that the portal was wrong. All she could see was steam. Through the haze she could make out the figure of a man. The sound of running water, a shower perhaps, reached her ears. The water turned off and the haze started to clear. She saw the man standing on white, bathroom tile.

She smacked the bowl of oil to the floor the fire catching the oil, now soaking into the carpet. Kat screamed as the fire roared up into the air, singeing Rebecka's eyebrows. Kat ran up behind her, hitting the fire with a white throw pillow. It won't be white any more. Collecting herself Rebecka grabbed a comforter and started to help Kat put out the fire.

Finally, after battling the fire for ten minutes and ruining one pillow and one blanket they fell to the floor. Exhausted.

"What. The Hell. Becky." Kat wheezed, coughing to clear her lungs of smoke.

"I-I-I... uh... I... you see. You don't think my mom will notice do you?"

"That's not what I asked."

It was Rebecka's turn to blush. She never blushed as strongly as Kat did but her nose turned the brightest red, blood dripping from it. "I was... well I was going to tell Kid... what we found out and um..."

Kat stared at her with narrowed, intense eyes. "What did you see."

"He was finishing a shower and I..."

A big, fat blush exploded on Kat's face. It was like Budda whispered the whole story to her. The sent her into enlightenment. "You lucky duck! You saw him naked didn't you!"

Rebecka nodded, her eyes focused on the ceiling, using the hem of her shirt to stop the blood.

"Well..." Kat stared at her with big expectant eyes.

"Well what?"

"Did he have a nice ass?"

Blood spurted from Rebecka's nose like a fountain in Central park. She sputtered franticly, the little stream of blood now a waterfall. "Wh-what kind of question is that! Why are you asking that! Why do you want to know!"

Kat grabbed her by the shoulders and shook violently. "You either saw his ass or not now tell me if you saw his sexy-fine ass!"

"Yes I saw it! St-stop shaking me! My hear hurts!"

Kat stopped and grinned with a satisfied nod, but she couldn't just stop there. "So... did you see... anything else?" It was such a proud statement considering it came from virgin number 1. Virgin number 2 passed out promptly from blood loss. "H-hey! Becky! It was a joke! You didn't seriously see it did you! Becky! Oh crap... how the hell am I going to explain this to momma Thornson!"

* * *

At the Hospital...

"Why were you girls playing with fire?" Lillia Thornson or AKA Rebecka's mom asked Kathline as they sat outside the Emergency room. "And how did Becka lose so much blood. You girls... aren't cutting are you?"

Kat tried really, really hard not to roll her eyes. "No momma Thornson, we were not cutting our noses."

Lillia nodded dazedly. She looked older than usual, her blond hair duller. She appeared to be stoned, her blue eyes always distant. The smell of alcohol hung to her clothes like skunk stench. "J-just be good girls okay. I think some of my old dolls are in the attic. You can go up and get them to play with. J-just don't try to burn them."

"Pyros" James smirked from the other side of Lillia. "Don't be so hard on yourself mom, their just bad eggs. I'll always be your perfect little boy."

Kat growled. "Says the gear head that goes off with his little gear head bastard buddies to get high of car exhaustion."

"Both of you!" Interjected Lillia in a rare moment of authority. "This... is a hospital. We are here for your sister." Her voice grew distant till it was nothing more than a whisper. "James, why don't you go the cafeteria and by us something to eat." She handed him her wallet.

Jame's took it without a word and walked off. Kat huffed, watching him walk down the long hall. He was probably going to buy the cheapest crap he could find and pocket some money for himself. She doubted momma Thornson ever thought things through.

The doors across from them opened and a old doctor in long white doctor robes walked out. He scratched a few things down on his clip board and said to Lilla with a smile.

"Your daughter is fine. We gave her some blood and right now she's resting. You can go in and see her but she'll have to stay the night, just to be sure everything is okay.

Lillia looked from the doctor to Kathline. "I see, that's good then. Doctor, can my children stay here to watch over Rebecka. They know her medical history better than I do. I just need to get to work right away and I can't run them home."

The doctor's eyes widened. Kat could see the shock slowly die as he figured Lillia was really saying what he thought she was saying.

"Ma'am. This isn't an inn. You can't leave your children here!"

Kat interjected, putting on her most pathetic face. "Doctor, please. We live in our car and momma needs the car to work, but her boss doesn't like kids. He said that if he saw us again he'd fire momma! I know we're asking a lot but please. Momma needs to work to get money." She added tears for good measure.

The doctor looked pained when he gave his answer. "Okay, fine. You don't need to lie... no matter how convincingly. Just get in the room. This is a one time exception. Remember that. Just don't cause trouble or we'll kick you out." And he promptly walked off.

Lillia watched all that happened with a blank expression. "What's with that bag you brought Lina?"

"It's Kathline momma Thornson and it has our homework in it. Now get to work. And don't forget to get your wallet from James. Don't forget it."

Lillia nodded and left. She looked like she was floating when she walked. She was a very ghost like person. If Kat could help it she would never yell at momma Thornson or lest she'd disappear.

Kat zipped into Rebecka's room, closing the door and rushing to the side of Rebecka's bed. "Becky... Becky... Becky!" She shook the other girl's arm. Rebecka moaned in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open.

"Where am I?"

Kat let out a burp of laughter. "Wow, was that cliched. You're at the hospital because you passed out from a lack of blood. Boy, no one can get a nosebleed like you can. I think you broke a few world records. Like biggest blood fountain."

Rebecka's eyes narrowed into sharp, unamused slits. "Any important reason why you're here?"

"Well momma Thornson left me and Jame's here to spend the night and I... brought the magic book."

"You what?"

"Shuush! Do want a nurse to run in here? It's okay, I wrapped it up so it's protected. Besides... you said so yourself... we need to tell Kid about the curse."

"You just don't want to die do you?"

Kathline nodded. "Yep, because I'm the biggest coward there is, well maybe except for Usopp."

"Let's get this over with." Rebecka sighed.

Kat set the magic book, bound in torn shreds of newspaper and laid a ring or flowers on Rebecka's bed. When Kat tried to pull out a bowl to light the fire Rebecka stopped her.

"You can't start a fire in a hospital. They'll throw a fit."

Kat obviously didn't think this through. "I snuck all this stuff in for nothing! Well what do we do then? "

"Try something else? Rebecka suggested. "Like a mirror. Or fill the bowl with water. Let's try that."

Kat took the bowl into the bathroom and when she came back it was filled with water. They balanced it carefully on Rebecka's knees. White dust swirled across the clear water and the cold hospital air was suddenly too warm. And for a moment if felt like they were being burned by invisible fire.

The white, wispy water suddenly changed to the inside of a dusky bar. The strong scent of sea salt and rum hit their noses. Eustass Kid was sitting in a far corner of the room, his crew could be seen picking fights with others off to the side.

Eustass was just trying to enjoy a nice warm meal. Apparently he couldn't do so since he saw two girls in his soup. "Shit."

"Captain?" On of the crew called to him. Eustass looked up, bluffing his way out of the bar and into the bathroom. He turned on the old faucet, letting the water rush down the pipe. Just his luck it got clogged and the two girls appeared again.

"Why's the big scary Captain running away from two little girls." The red haired one said smoothly.

"Shut it and tell me what you want so I can leave." Eustass said, his fingers flexing like he was choking someone.

Rebecka spoke first. Kathline looked too scared to speak. Her eyes saw the bandage wrapped around his right arm and couldn't help but look down at the tiger tattoo on her left arm. Kid saw it too, half the tiger's tail was lit.

"It's a curse. That's what causing the strange markings. Their like a calendar. My theory is that the tattoo like markings will be fully outlined on the Winter Solstice. And-"

"What happens on the Solstice." Kid asked suddenly.

Rebecka was later proud she managed to say this with a straight face, even if it was a bit rushed. "You have to have sex with a man before then or else you die... or something along those lines. We're not sure what but either way it's bad.

"Hahaha, okay. Enough joking." Kid was amused. These girls, these crazy girls what imaginations they had.

"We're serious." Rebecka said calmly. "That's the curse. Have sex with a man or... die."

The silence in the air was heavy. Nerves racked up inside Kat, Rebecka fared no better. It was a surprisingly hard thing to do. Telling your favorite character of your favorite manga to be gay or die. Rebecka knew that if they told him that in his world, well... it wouldn't have been pretty. Kat thought of that as well for sure refused to look at Kid.

"You. Bitch." Was all Kid growled before smashing his hand into the sink, purple sparks flying off his fingers.

The water in the bowl shook violently and then it was just normal water.

Rebecka closed the magic book, giving it to Kat to cover in newspaper and put back in her bag. She leaned back in her bed when a thought crossed her.

"I wonder if we did any psychological damage to him."

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: And the plot is here! Took three chapters but it's here nonetheless! So just what is to come? Drama! Suspense! Betrayal? And more Eustass Kid! And you can get all of that and more if you just leave one review! Just click that shinny review button.

It's practically begging you! I'm practically begging you! My writing power comes from reviews so don't forget it!


	4. Truth among men

Tally Mai-chan: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I'm on vacation in the mountains and internet access isn't a click away. Also I'm sorry for any mistakes. I didn't get much time to revise this. Sorry! Anyways, Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Truth among men

* * *

Killer ran into the bathroom. He heard a terrible clanging noise from the bathroom where the Captain was. The sound of water blasting from the pipes bloated out all other sounds. He pushed through the bathroom door and saw his captain standing still, the sink in pieces at his feet. "Captain!"

The twisted and broken pipes spewed water onto the floor and on Kid, but the man made no move to get out of the way. He didn't even seem to notice it. Killer could feel the killing intent of his captain. Captain Kid was a fearsome man. No one messed with him and lived to tell the tale. No one.

"Captain." Killer said again from the doorway. He didn't dare get closer. He had never seen his captain so angry before. Suddenly Kid roared in rage. His hand slashing at the air, purple sparks dancing in it's wake.

All the sinks from where he stood to the other side of the bathroom flew out from the wall and smashed into the stalls across from them. Kid swore under his breath ranting like a madman. Killer thought he heard the words 'girls and red head' in his colorful speech.

"Captain." Killer said once again, at a loss of what to do or say. Talking and figuring people out was not his strong suite. He killed people and that was it. Why bother talking to someone if they're about to die anyways?

As his Captain spat out every vile work he knew Killer saw the tattoo of a dragon on his right arm.

"Never." Kid said slowly, his sharp brown eyes locking onto Killer. "Never have I been so... insulted. So screwed by two weak... stupid girls!" As he shouted he punched the long mirror hanging in front of him. Glass shattered and blood sailed through the air. Kid dug his bloodied knuckles deep into the glass, not so much as flinching from the pain.

Killer said nothing, if his captain wanted to tell him something, then he would.

"What the hell is a winter solstice." Kid said suddenly, looking to Killer.

"Some holiday?" Said Killer, not too sure himself.

"See this." Kid held up his right arm. "At the time of that 'winter solstice' if I don't get rid of this stupid as shit curse then I die.

Killer stepped back in shock. Rage, violent and malicious, burned behind his captains every word. "What? A curse? Captain you've been cursed! Who? How?"

Kid strode forward, stopping short of where Killer stood. "This is why I hate magic and shit. Two stupid girls messed with magic and cursed me. They used magic from another dimension. I can't touch them. I can't touch them! If I could I would have killed them. I would have given the most painful and slow death I could give. I would have killed them a thousand times over!"

Killer clenched his teeth, his hands curled into tight fists. What could he say. He wanted to say something, not just stand there like some speechless idiot. But that was it. What could he say. Had his captain gone mad? But that tattoo. He didn't know what to think.

"It's pointless." Kid sneered, pushing Killer aside. "Enough bitching, I"m going to beat this curse, I don't care if I die trying. I'll beat it.

"What is the curse?" Killer couldn't help but ask. They way Kid glared at him, he knew Kid would never say. It would be a secret he'd keep to is grave.

* * *

Rebecka and Kathline stood before the full length mirror they had extracted from the small attic. I took them five hours to find it then slowly inch their way down the ladder to the attic, being careful not to break the heavy mirror. On the last rung when Kat stepped down the old wood broke and Kat took an unexpected plunge down. She didn't fall far but she let go of her side of the mirror. The mirror slid forward, it's corner smashing into Kat's stomach.

The girl yelped in pain, falling back on her bottom. Rebecka jumped off the ladder to the side, pulling the mirror off Kat. The girl was okay, in pain yes, but bleeding, no.

"Damnit." Kat hissed, clenching her stomach with both hands. "Why are we doing this again?"

"Because." Rebecka said, inspecting the mirror. "We want to test to see if we can use this as a medium for the portal. We know that Fire works and water works, so maybe a mirror will work too."

They picked the mirror up and carried it to the basement stairs. They had a little trouble at the bottom, the mirror not wanting to go through the basement door but after a few well placed swear words by Kat and a change of position they got it through.

They leaned it against the wall by the TV, both of their reflections staring back at them. Rebecka got the magic book while Kat placed flowers around the mirror in a circle. Rebecka opened the book when the computer rang. Kat looked to Rebecka quietly then walked over to the computer, clicking the mail box icon.

"It's a email from that collage! They want to meet us! Like, as soon as possible. They'll even pay for the plane tickets and everything, give us hotel rooms, our meals! But it says that we have to bring the book with us. They really want to see it... It's like they're really desperate or something, I mean if they're willing to pay so much money just for us to go to their collage."

"We could learn more about the books magic." Rebecka said thoughtfully. Her face serious. "Though let's not take the book. We'll take the pictures but the book will stay here, hidden."

Kat gave her a look. "We have to bring it! The book is the only reason they're paying for everything! Why they want to meet us!"

Rebecka looked troubled. "That's just it. They may want to take the book from us. The magic book is a priceless relic of history. It's probably the only copy of it's kind in existence. If we take the book and go meet them they may blackmail us into giving it to them. What if, when we get there they won't pay for our trip back home unless we give them the book?"

"Ah, well... um... we-"

"We nothing. We can take the pictures we have. They'll just have to live with it, but they can't keep us their with just the pictures. Email them back and say that we'll come and bring the book with us. I'll go hide the book."

Kat didn't like any of this. She didn't like thinking that the researchers of DECL wanted to steal the magic book from them. She wanted to know more about the magic of the book than Rebecka did. She cursed herself after all, and she sure as hell did not want her fate in the hands of Eustass Kid.

Kat wrote the email anyways, saying that they will accept their offer. She realized that they would have to miss school. It was late August, and their third week of school, so she guessed they wont miss anything too important. The Collage of Ridgeway was all the way in California, on the other side of the country. They lived in Ohio, almost right on the Indiana border. In fact they even went to school in Indiana.

They reply was almost instantaneous. The writer of the e-mail, a student by the name of Nathaniel Hawth gave all the details of their trip, asking for parents permission, where they live and such and such. Kat was worried about the parents permission, her parents would never let her, and momma Thornson would agree to it no problem.

Rebecka came back and Kat told her about the new email. The red haired girl nodded slowly, thinking carefully. "We wont give them our address but instead say to buy us tickets from Indianapolis airport to there. We can take the bus to get to the airport."

"Okay." Kat said. "But they say we need our parents permission."

"They don't know we're not blood sisters. Download that attachment file... It's the permission slip, I'll get mom to sign it then we can fax it back to them. Ask for a fax number."

"I feel dirty." Said Kat. "I mean, we're treating them like bad guys."

"We don't know who they are Kat, and we live in a cold world. We have to look out for ourselves."

"..."

Kat printed out the slip and Rebecka took it upstairs. Kat stared at her screen, her hands placed on her stomach. She could feel the scar hidden beneath her shirt. She was no stranger to this cold world, but it's victim.

* * *

Eustass Kid walked through the shady back streets of Yeenna, the last Island in South Blue before the Grand Line. It was a large island, famous for its various protective charms and shamans. Kid had searched various bars across town, looking for a shaman who dealt in curses. In the fourth bar he "visited" he was told about a shaman named Tenz.

Kid got the directions to the shaman's house, located far into the depths of Yeenna's darker side. Many shady characters lined the streets, looking at him quietly, deciding if he was trouble or not. Kid glared at anyone that so much made eye contact. He was dangerous and he made it known. No one gave him trouble.

He had no trouble finding Tenz's house, it was the most flamboyant building in a neighborhood of monochrome black and gray. Gaudy curtains hung behind greasy windows and a bright blue and green sign, it's words too faded to read, hung above the door. Kid walked in, dust flying through the air. The old store hadn't been used in ages. Dust and cobwebs covering everything and anything. Cockroaches scurried away from the light of the open door.

"Hey! Tenz if you're here show yourself." Kid shouted into the pitch black room. No answer came. Kid strode into the room, constantly wiping cobwebs off his face or arms. He found the counter, an old cash register taking up most of it. Various slips of paper with strange writing on them littered the floor around the counter. Kid picked one up, examining it.

The dark blue curtains that hung behind the counter fluttered as an old boney hand pushed them aside.

A old man, his face nothing but wrinkles appeared. His eyes were closed, his mouth indistinguishable form the folds of skin around it. He wore an faded blue tunic with long sleeves that went past his hands, and matching pants.

"You could have used the back door like everybody else." He croaked.

"Tell me what you know about curses old man." Kid said.

Tenz shook his head. "Don't you mean your curse? Come to the back. This store front hasn't been used in twenty years."

Kid followed the old man through the curtain into a large and spacious room. Furniture and shelves were pushed back against the walls, at the center of the room was a small table, a jar of incense burning on it. It smelled terrible, a sickly sweet scent that overpowered Kid's nose. The pirate clasped his hand over his crinkled nose.

"It smells bad but it makes one live longer. Takes thirty years to get used to though. I'll put it out." The old man doused the jar with water, and opened a window by a door across the room. A breeze came in and cleaned the room of the smell. The smell lingered but it wasn't as strong as it was.

"How'd you know I was cursed." Kid said, standing away from the incense jar.

The old man sat down in an aged purple chair. "Curses are strange, the people who bear them have an even stranger presence. How did you get your curse?"

"I have a curse old man, get rid of it and I won't kill you."

The old man grunted. "Curses can not just be removed. How they are received and their purpose play a part in breaking them."

Kid gritted his teeth, the feeling of helplessness was slowly driving him insane. "A girl from another dimension. She used some kind of magic to create a portal from her world to this one." He held up his right arm, showing the dragon tattoo to the old man. "This is some kind of... timer, when the winter solstice, what ever that is, happens then something bad will happen."

The old man looked thoughtful when he answered. "Magic... such a curious thing. From another dimension you say? I certainly believe such things exist. The winter solstice... a day during winter in which the sun is closest to the earth. Also known as the shortest day. I can't do anything to break the curse, that you will have to do on your own or if that girl removes it."

"Don't give me that bullshit! Give me something!" Kid shouted at the old man. "Are you telling me that I can't do anything old man? I won't sit and twiddle my thumbs as some girl tries to use magic she knows nothing about!"

"Calm down, calm down." The old man pulled himself onto his feet, checking the various bookshelves scattered throughout the room. From an old dark brown bookcase filled with books covered by moth eaten covers, he took down a green covered book. Opening the covers flap and pulling out an almost new book. It had never been opened and it's cover was dark purple with bright gold rim around it. "Take this and do not open it. It's a magic book and it's powers are strange."

Kid wordlessly took the book and the old man opened the backdoor.

"You have control, don't forget that."

Kid stepped out into the backstreets, void of all people. The noon sun streamed through the tall grey buildings. He looked at the book held in his arms, tempting him to open it. Kid hated magic, it wasn't something used by the strong. It wasn't something he would ever use. Now it felt like he was completely reliant upon it.

There was something more to his curse, call it a gut feeling but that's what he felt.

He'll wait, act like everything is normal, and wait until he knew more about the curse. It wasn't his preferred plan of action but sometimes it was necessary to be neutral. He left the backstreets, heading back to ship and crew. Tomorrow they'll be sailing to the Grand Line, and he couldn't be distracted.

He was going to be the King of Pirates. No curse will stop him.

* * *

Rebecka stared out the window of the airplane. It was both her's and Kat's first time ever flying in one. She found it relaxing in the air. It was awful in that packed airport. They nearly missed their plane from navigating through the maze of people and paranoid security. Airport security beat Kat hand's down in paranoia.

Speaking of Kat, the brown haired girl got airsick the moment they took off. The airplane ladies, Rebecka couldn't remember what they were called for the life of her, let her have the employee restroom.

It was a six hour flight, nonstop to northern California. Kat spent the whole trip in the bathroom and ate nothing. Rebecka enjoyed a nice package of peanuts and watched the inflight movie. It was a movie she never heard of before and none of the actors were recognizable but it was a decent movie.

The plane landed at exactly 6 pm. They walked off, Kat holding a brown paper bag to her mouth. She took heavy breaths, occasionally chanting, "We have to fly back, we have to fly back." They entered the terminal and instantly saw the bright red sign with their names on it. It was hard to miss really. No one else held such an obnoxious sign.

They walked up and the man holding the sign introduced himself as Nathaniel Hawth. He was tall and slender with blue eyes and long eyelashes framed by black square glasses. His rich brown hair was short and wavy. His clothes were very dressy and business like. A sleek black suite with a light blue shirt underneath. He didn't wear a tie.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." He smiled charmingly. Rebecka felt a little out of place. She and Kat wore plain hoodies and old pairs of jeans. Rebecka carried a large side bag, it's long strap wrapping across her chest, over her shoulder and then across her back. She kept a protective hand on it all times. "Is that the book?" he inquired.

Rebecka pressed the bag closer. "Yes, it is. We feel better to keep it close, since it is such... precious cargo." Kat looked uneasy as she said this. Nathaniel saw her, but wrote it off as airsickness.

"We have a limo waiting for us. Are you girls hungry? There is a nice restaurant near by where you can enjoy the best shrimp in all of California."

Kat paled. "Please... no seafood."

Nathaniel nodded, looking to his left. "Um then... how about this Russian restaurant not far from the collage campus."

"I'd rather eat food I can recognize." Rebecka stated. Kat nodding in agreement. "Take us though a McDonald's drive through and get us to the hotel you promised."

Nathaniel nodded enthusiastically, saying that he'll make sure all of their needs are meet. Nathaniel walked close to Rebecka, something that did not escape her attention. Kathline was oblivious, her mouth already drooling at the thought of food. She hadn't eaten anything since they got on the plane at eleven o' clock.

When they got in the limo Nathaniel received a phone call. He left them for a few minutes, saying that it was important and that he would be back right away.

"I knew it." Rebecka hissed under her breath, once Nathaniel was out of sight. "All he cares about is the book. I knew this would happen."

"We don't know that for sure." said Kat. "It's an old book, anyone would be worried about it. He is a student researching the language in the book. I'd care a lot about it too!"

"He wouldn't take his eyes off it!" Rebecka nearly shouted. She was struggling to remain calm. This whole thing screamed "scam" at her. It was good that they didn't bring the real book. Decisive, yes. Necessary? Also yes.

"He doesn't seem like a bad person! He's even kinda cute."

Rebecka gave her a look.

"What? I'm just saying!"

Nathaniel choose that moment to reappear. "Saying what?" He asked casually, meeting Rebecka's and Kat's eyes.

"Nothing." Rebecka said quickly. Nathaniel looked confused but said nothing.

"Hey driver." Kat jumped forward, poking her head through the window connecting the drivers seat to the back. "Take us to the nearest McDonald's please and thank you." The driver tipped his hat and they were off.

* * *

"Hello, director? Yes the girls are safe and in their hotel room... No, I don't have the book yet. The one girl, Rebecka, she's persistent in keeping it close... Yes, I asked them the questions... I didn't get any useful information. I'll try again tomorrow when I'm giving the tour of the department. I'll get that book from them... Yes, by any means necessary."

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: Dun, dun, dun! Cliff hanger! I'm on vacation and I'm writing, oh well. I hope you liked the latest chapter! I'd really like it if you leave me a review!


	5. Because he's a jackass

Tally Mai-chan: I think this is going to be my favorite chapter so far! It's a monster! Enjoy!

Warning: Strong Language in this chapter.

Chapter 5: Because he's a jackass

* * *

The Collage of Ridgeway was a high end school. With state of the art classrooms and the top teachers in the country. It was a school to rival Harvard. Whether humble or highly selective the school never took more than two thousand students each year. All of whom devoted to the study of languages and the arts of calligraphy.

The school was small and nestled in the valley of two mountains in northern California. All the buildings were made from the same, sandy colored stones and looked like they appeared from a 18th century movie. Extensive and grand gardens with stunningly colorful flowers and large trees filled the campus grounds.

Rebecka, Kat and Nathaniel rode up the cobblestone pathway to DECL's building in the limo from the day before. The hotel they stayed in was five star and the beds the most soft and comfy the two girls had ever slept it. Room service prepared them a feast for breakfast with mountains of pancakes topped in sweet syrup. Fruits and bagels in tasteful arrangements looked like a city.

Kat pigged out till her heart nearly gave way but Rebecka restrained herself. To her it was all some elaborate ploy for their book.

"This building was first built in 1987. Back them it was just used for storage but now well it's the home of DECL." Nathaniel explained, as the limo pulled around, the driver getting out to open their door. He continued to talk about DECL, giving its complete history from humble beginnings to today. The two girl's didn't care much, Kat ignoring him completely and Rebecka listening out of politeness.

"Here we are." Nathaniel proclaimed, opening the two wide front doors of DECL. They immediately found themselves in a spacious room filled with desks and computers. Students and Professors in formal clothing filled the room. All of them working from computer to computer, many of them in groups discussing important matters in hushed tones.

Nathaniel called out to an plump, elderly man with long white hair, the top of his head bald but his face had more than enough hair. A voluminous white mustache dominated his facial features. His blue eyes were pale and very wrinkled.

"Ah, you must be the two girls who sent us the pictures of that amazing book! That is quite the discovery! Might I ask how you came across it?" His voice was very warm and uplifting, and when he smiled he was like every bodies favorite grandfather. "Oh, there I go again. Forgetting to introduce myself. I am Professor Schwartz, the head of DECL."

"Rebecka Thornson." Rebecka said plainly, extending her hand to be shaked. Her words were distant and emotionless but Professor Schwartz grabbed her hand and the smile never left his face as he shook it gently.

"Kathline Reevus." Kat followed Rebecka's lead, though being more gracious about it. The Professor shook her hand as well. "Can we see how you do all that translating stuff?"

Professor Schwartz nodded his head vigorously, reminding Rebecka of a walrus. He babbled on about different things as he guided them through DECL. Oddly he didn't ask about the book again. It was like he forgot all about it.

He took them into a small backroom with various laptops sitting on white tables. "There's a special program on all of these laptops. It's like a special computer translator, it's not perfect but it can correctly translate with up to sixty-eight percent accuracy."

Kat walked over to one of the open laptops, the translator program running on the screen. One of the picture's they sent could be seen in a side window. She pointed it out to Rebecka. The red haired girl looked at the professor and Nathaniel out of the corner of her eyes before walking up beside Kat.

In the right hand corner of the computer screen there was a white box with the translated text in English.

_For... against one's ring... death nor... hold love... curse shall be punishment_

"Kat" Rebecka breathed, keeping her voice low. "It's about the curse."

Kat gulped. "Y-yeah... But I don't understand. Death, love? The curse is a punishment? Ring? That doesn't sound like what a curse is."

"Is there a problem?" Professor Schwartz put his hand on Kat's shoulder. "Ah, yes. That's one of the pages you sent us. Hmm... One's ring... how do you commit a crime against someone's ring?"

Nathaniel walked over to the other side of Rebecka. "I think it mean's spouse. I don't think I've seen that symbol, the one that's between 'for' and 'against'."

"This is what we live for." Professor Schwartz meet both of the girl's eyes. "Learning of a culture and time far different from our own. It's like a jigsaw puzzle really, only you play with words and not little cut up bits of cardboard. Would you girls like to see are archive? Fascinating place, well if you love the smell of old books. It might bore you guys though-"

"I'd like to see it." Rebecka interrupted.

The Professor looked surprised, Rebecka's honestly making him smile warmly. He gestured to the door. Rebecka suddenly tumbled forward, her foot caught on black cords running from an outlet in the wall to the laptops. Rebecka flung her arms out, catching herself before she took an ungraceful plunge. Still not balanced she fell backwards, her hand's smacking onto one of the tables.

"Ah! Becky!" Kat shouted.

"Are you okay?" Professor Schwartz questioned. Nathaniel took a step forward but a side glance from the professor made him stop. "Careful now. Sadly there's always a lose cord laying about here. I've tripped on them myself haha. So has Nathaniel here."

Nathaniel chuckled sheepishly.

"On second thought." Rebecka said suddenly, her face sad. "I'm starting to feel dizzy. Jet Lag..."

The professor and Nathaniel took her quite seriously. Sending for someone to take her to the campus clinic. Nathaniel looked at the bag hanging off of Rebecka. "Ah, but the book. You said that you would bring it."

The professor nodded his head, remembering the book himself. "Is it in that bag Miss Rebecka? I'm concerned for the book. If it's not protected properly then it could be ruined." He spoke deeply.

"We didn't bring the book." Kat blurted and gasped. Rebecka was going to be mad at her! They weren't supposed to say that they didn't have the book yet.

The Professor snorted in laughter. They all stared at him in open shock. "That's excellent! I don't know why Nathaniel here asked for the book. I would never dream of asking you to bring that book all the way from Ohio! I faint at the thought of what could happen to such a book on an airplane! The picture's you girls took were sufficient enough."

"It's my bad Professor Schwartz." Nathaniel said, looking apologetically to Rebecka. "I didn't realize what I asked until after I sent the e-mail. I-I didn't want to look like a fool so I never said anything about it. I'm such a fool."

The campus nurse walked in, her sharp eyes locking onto Rebecka. "Are you the one?" She asked in a clinical tone. She flashed a pocket light in both of Rebecka's eyes. She 'hmm'ed and 'ahh'ed every few seconds as she examined her.

"Let's just go back to our hotel room." Kat suggested. "We can continue this tomorrow."

"Good idea." The Professor agreed. "Nathaniel, once Miss Hills is done looking over Miss Rebecka please take the girls home." He nodded, satisfied that everything was settled and walked out with his his hands placed behind his back.

The nurse, Miss Hills, finished her work with Rebecka, stating that she was okay for travel. "Get a good nights rest tonight." She instructed. She leaned forward, speaking so only the two girls could her. "Jet lag only happens when you cross the international dateline girls. If you're going to fake then know what you're faking. Understand?" They nodded, Rebecka sweating a little under the collar.

Nathaniel made sure they got back to their hotel safely. Even escorting them to their room. When he left them Rebecka let out a great heave. She quickly turned to Kat, a mischievous grin on her face. Kat had never seen her friend like this. It scared her.

"Wh-what did you do?" Kat accused, pointing fingers.

"Well..." Rebecka shrugged, opening her bag and pulling out a CD. "I just... borrowed this CD."

"You what!"

"Hush! I did it on an impulse! I thought that if they were going to take the book then I'd take something of theirs first! I..."

"Do you even know what that is?" Kat questioned, seriously freaked out. They just stole something! It could have been something super important. Now they were really in for it! What was Rebecka thinking! What kind of preemptive game was she playing? If she got in trouble her father would...

"I think it's the translator program they showed us. I don't know, it was the only disk I saw laying about. Seriously Kat, we won't get caught! There were no cameras in the room and no one saw me!"

The phone rang.

Kat jumped, a scream escaping from her mouth. Rebecka shrugged it off as coincidence. It was probably just the collage calling to check up on them. She hoped.

"We have to answer it." Rebecka said when neither of them made a move to the phone. She debated it over it in her head. Just how bad it could be? She thought. It's just the collage, or my mom calling to check up on us. "I guess... I'll get it now."

She reached for the phone, quickly putting it against her ear.

"This is the police." The words that instantly greeted her.

If there was ever a moment in her life where she wanted to cry. It was that moment.

"It's the police." She almost whispered to Kat but quickly shut her mouth.

"Is this Kathline Reevus?" The officer on the line asked.

"N-no..."

"Is she there. We need to talk to her."

Why Kat? Rebecka thought. "She's not here right now, but I can take a message."

"It's urget we talk to her now. In person."

"J-just a second." She placed the phone against her shoulder, looking over to Kat. "It's the police. They want to talk to you. It' urgent."

At first Kat was too scared to speak. Rebecka had to force the phone into her hands, the girl wouldn't have anything to do with it. Kat slowly put it up to her ear, her whole body shaking.

"Th-this is Kathline Reevus... Ah I... I understand... yes... I'll come home right now... goodbye..."

"Kat?"

Tears welled up in Kathline's eyes. "My mom... she's in the hospital. My dad wants me to come home right away... Becky, I-I-I can't go alone. Why do they want me! Becky... I'm scared."

"It had to happen now!"Rebecka exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "We could certainly get back home. There's no way they could stop us... but..." She sighed, pacing around the room like a mad animal. "I think you were right Kat. I don't think they're out to steal the book from us. I don't completely trust them but... after I took that disk and Nathaniel asked about the book. I thought they slipped, that they showed their true intentions but... that Professor. Something about him makes me want to let go and trust him completely. I think we could learn a lot. We could solve this mystery Kat! We could find a way to get rid of your curse."

"Becky!" Kat punched Rebecka in the arm playfully, smiling despite her puffy red eyes. "Now you trust them! After you steal their disk-thingy! But yeah, I know what you mean about the Professor. He reminds me of my grandpa... well when he was still alive."

"What do we do?" Rebecka said. The two girls looked at each other. The same thought occurring to both of them. Tears streamed down Kat's eyes, her fear reaching to Rebecka. "Kat, we can come back, at a later time. It's the beginning of September. The winter Solstice isn't until December. That gives us three months."

"Yeah... we have time." Kat repeated. "Let's call the school and tell them then. They have our tickets."

* * *

"I'm afraid that we can't send you girls back tonight. Your return tickets are for the 7th, and today is the 5th." Nathaniel said over the phone.

Rebecka made a face. Kat promptly knocked her elbow into her Rebecka's stomach. The girl gagged.

"I can see if I can find some tickets for you Miss Kathline because of your urgent situation. I'll call you back shortly. I'll kick someone off the plane if I have to." And he hung up.

They sat in silence waiting for him to call back. Rebecka played with the computer disk in her hands. She was going to have to return it. How was she going to return it? She decided that she could quietly slip it back somewhere, then it'd look like someone misplaced it. It was lie but a necessary lie. When she told Kat her plan the other girl was less than thrilled.

"You should just tell the truth Becky!" Kat insisted. "They'll understand. You made a mistake and admitted to it, anyone would forgive you."

"Do you seriously believe that?" Rebecka frowned, Kat rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"I am a believer in humans, so... of course!"

"You abnormal girl."

"Hey!"

Nathaniel called back half an hour later. He managed to get a seat for Kathline on a plane back to Ohio. She had to leave right away, the plane taking off in just an hour, but it was a non stop flight.

Kat got on the plane on time, leaving her bag with Rebecka to bring back. Rebecka didn't go back to the collage the next day. Professor Schwartz came to see her in person, asking why she wouldn't come. Rebecka merely replied that she was just tired. Jet lag was still bothering her. The professor nodded his head. His eyes were distant but his smile never dropped.

* * *

Kat arrived home late that night. She didn't want to go directly home but she didn't know what hospital her mother was in. As soon as she walked through the front door she looked down. The sleek, black digital clock was still there on a wooden side table. It was fifteen minutes past twelve.

The smell of alcohol coated everything in that house. The couch was torn in several places and the TV screen was busted. Bills and newspapers littered the floor along with abandoned candy wrappers and plastic cups.

It made Kat appreciate momma Thornson more. At least she cleaned. Hell, even James cleaned up after himself better than her parents did. Kat walked further into the house, wishing that her father was already passed out or absent.

She walked into the cold kitchen, her eyes meeting his. He played with an empty beer bottle, rolling it around on the greasy green kitchen table by the neck. His blood shot eyes connected to her's with a frightful force.

"So you finally come home. What took you." Her father slurred, emphasizing every other word to make himself look smarter. "Where were you?"

"Why do you want me here?" She said quietly, breaking eye contact.

Her father lunged from his chair, his free hand grabbing for her neck. "The hell with your backtalk! asked you where were you!"

"Sleeping under a bridge!" Kat shouted, backing out of the kitchen slowly. Her father was still, his hand still outstretched.

"Your bitch mom wouldn't tell me where she went. She lied to me, but you don't know that. You know better than to lie to me right, Kathline?"

She didn't say anything.

"Well!" Her father's hand griped the neck of the beer bottle tighter. With a snap of his wrist he hit the bottom of the bottle over the table, glass shattering across the floor. With the look of a ravage wolf in his eyes he pointed the broken bottle at her. The jagged glass small blades. "Are you lieing to me?"

Kat didn't scream. She didn't say anything. She ran from that room as fast as she could. He was too drunk, he was out of control. She knew the moment she walked into that kitchen. He'd kill her.

She slammed into the front door, her fingers fumbling to turn the knob. He was right on top of her, swinging the broken bottle at her.

The door opened and she stumbled into the night. The bottle swinging over her head. She had to get away. Her father howled with rage, swearing every obscene word he knew at her. Kat ran into the night her feet pounding against the asphalt road. There was not a single house with it's lights on. No lonely car drove down the road.

It was just her, and a mad man.

* * *

Eustass Kid walked into his room. His shoulder bloody from a gun wound. The pain didn't phase him. He had tied it up with some bandages laying about, it was sloppy work but it stopped the blood flow. He figured if it got worse then he'd just find a doctor to fix it.

He glances at his bed, the magic book laying in the center. It shivered.

He stared at the prone book, thinking he was just imagining things. The book trembled, his cover opening lightly, it's pages fluttering. Eustass Kid's hand touched the cover. A burst of electricity ran up his arm, and he recoiled from the shock. His shoulder burned with pain from the sudden movement but he ignored it.

"The hell."

* * *

Kathline didn't think. She just ran. Letting her body move by instinct. Her father was drunk, his senses and motor skills were dulled. The only reason she was still alive.

It was a labor to breath. A struggle to keep running. Street lamps lit the roads. They lit up the night world, but they gave her no comfort. Kat veered off the road, running through people's yards. She jumped fences and ducked through bushes, Scratches appearing on her arms and legs.

Her father's heavy breaths were never far. The sound of his steps ringing in her ears, making her heart leap faster with each pace that brings him closer. She was getting tired, but she was so close. She would make it!

She jumped over the low fence. Her father didn't see it in time and flipped right over it. This was her chance! She had but a few precious seconds. Rebecka's house came into sight across the street, the porch light giving her hope.

She dashed around to the back yard. She went to the back door, and couched down, her hand's going under a cloth mat. She pulled out the backdoor key, opening the door and slamming it tight behind her. He was there, the broken bottle still clutched tight in his hands.

His hand was on the latch. She ran for the basement. Pushing kitchen chairs in his way, anything to give her more time.

It was all about time. Time until she could call for help, time for James to notice, time for her father to pass out. Where was James! If anyone had to die tonight then it should be him! Kat slammed the basement door behind her, locking it. It was only a week lock, something easily broken.

She flew down the stairs. Her foot caught on the bottom step and she fell forward, her face connecting with the other door at the end of the stairs. Blood dripped down from a cut on her forehead. Swearing she glanced at the step.

The steps to the basement were carpeted and were stabled down to the stairs. The carpet on the bottom stair wasn't stabled, the edges were jagged and unclean. Kat lifted the carpet and saw the board was gone. She discovered the magic book in it's place.

The locked door at the top of the stairs suddenly broke. A hand protruding from a fresh hole. It groped the door, searching for the handle. Kat grabbed the magic book and opened the basement door. It was a new door and had no lock. She grabbed the computer chair across the room, using it to block the door.

"I'll kill you!" Her father screeched. "I'll kill you and your little, nasty, lieing mouth!"

* * *

The purple book given to him by the Shaman glowed bright blue. It's cover trembling from the power leaking from it's pages. Any attempt to touch the book resulted in painful, electric shock. Did that old man trick him? What the hell was going on!

Kid slammed his hand onto the cover, forcing the book open. Electricity shocking his whole arm. The pages went wild, shaking as if they were caught in a wind storm.

* * *

Kat desperately flipped through the pages of the magic book. "Please! Anything! Curse him! Kill him! Do something you stupid book! I don't want to be here! Create a portal! Please! Send me somewhere else!"

"Bitch!" Her father screamed. He tripped halfway down the stairs, tumbling into the bottom door. The chair moaned, the wood threatening to break.

Kat crawled backwards, her eyes searching the dark basement. The light switch was next to the door. She didn't want to be near the door. But it was too dark to see anything! She backed into what she though was the wall. She put her hand on it, cold glass pressed back against her fingers.

"The mirror." She breathed, remembering that she and Rebecka brought it downstairs. They were going to see if it could be used to create a portal to the One Piece world. She flipped through the book, the corners of the aged pages tearing right out. She found the page of the alter. "Please." She begged. "Save me. Get me out of here!"

With the roar her father burst through the basement door. His savage eyes instantly finding her. His broken bottle held above his head like a carving knife. "I'll make sure you never lie to me again..."

The mirror shattered in a burst of blue light. Her father howled like a kicked dog, his hands pressed into his eyes.

James ran down into the basement, flipping the light switch on. He saw Kathline's father thrashing around the room, his hands held across his eyes. The man let out a pitiful groan, stopping just short of James, and fell into a heap on the ground.

James saw his sister's magic book on the ground in a pile of glass shards. And there, right beside it was Kathline. He ran to her.

"Hey! Muchkin! Wake up! Come on, you're faking aren't you! Shrimp! Umpa lumpa! Hey listen! Heeeeey!"

* * *

Bright, blue light burst from the book like fireworks. Kid stepped back, covering his eyes. It was over in a flash, the book gone and on his bed was her.

The freaking brunette that cursed him.

"What?" Kat looked around sharply. Seeing the dim room she was in was nothing like Rebecka's basement. It was much cleaner and did not shout 'otaku'. She saw that she was on a bed but she didn't _feel_ like she was on a bed. It was like she could fall right through it.

"Hey bitch." Kid smiled wickedly. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

Kat slipped right through the bed. Literally. Like a ghost she phased through, stopping at the floor.

"What the hell!" She screamed. "What the freaking hell is going on!"

"That's what I want to know bitch!" Kat shouted, reaching under his bed. He grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her right out.

"I hate magic!" Kat screamed. "That stupid book stole my soul! I'm so going to hell for this!"

Kid yanked her into the air, his fingers gripping around her neck. He squeezed with all his strength but his fingers wouldn't tighten enough to choke her. She kicked and punched, her foot hitting his crotch. He cringed, releasing his grip on her.

Kat ran, going right through the walls. She hated ghosts but damned be if they didn't have useful abilities! She was in the One Piece world! She was there! Or, her soul was. She wasn't too sure. She phased through a wall and ran into a storage room. There were crates placed haphazardly throughout the room and two doors on opposite ends.

Simultaneously both doors opened. Killer in one and Kid on the other.

"You...!" Kid growled.

Killer looked from her to Kid. "Who the hell are you? How'd you get on this ship!"

"Just kill her!" Kid ordered.

Killer didn't waste a second, his scythe weapons already pulled onto his hands. He swung forward, the metal sliding through her. Kat screamed, she could see the light already. This was the end. To die in the One Piece world on Captain Kid's ship.

"Wh-what? Just... what are you?" Killer growled.

Kat examined her body. She was perfectly fine. But she saw the scythe blades go through her! There was no way she could have dodged. Killer attacked again, his blades going through her each time. He even tried to grapple her, but he just fell through.

"What is she?" Killer said to Kid.

Kat answered first. "I am the ghost haunting your captaaaaaaaain!"

Kid started at her, a 'what the fuck do you think you're saying. I'll fucking kill you' face. Killer stuttered in astonishment.

"Why?" The first mate asked.

"Because he's a jackaaaaaaaaas!"

Kat regretted saying such the thing, it wasn't true but ironically enough, that's how it ended up being.

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: Crap! It took so long to write this chapter! I actually had the last part of this chapter written out way back when I first came up with the story. I'm so glad I got to use it! Finally! Anyways, please review! Pretty, pretty please!

REVIEW!


	6. The Hunt is On

Tally Mai-chan: I had to have written this chapter at least several times before it was satisfied. Plot thickens, decisions are made! Bon appetite!

Chapter 6: The Hunt is On

* * *

Stare down.

"Listen. I don't like being cursed anymore than you do. So do us both a favor and have sex with a man and let's wash our hands of this whole thing."

"No."

Kat cartwheeled in the air, pulling at her long brown hair. He was just so obstinate! All morning, all stinking morning she tried to convince this man. "I don't want to die!" She shouted at him, halfway phased through the ceiling.

"Why don't you come down here and say that to my face." Kid said dangerously.

"NO." Kat stuck her tongue out.

Kid stood up, and walked beneath her. He gave her such a harsh glare that she felt chills roll down her spine. "You cursed me. So you are going to find a way to break the curse."

"I don't know how too! I can't read that stupid book! We found people who could but they don't know any more than we do."

"The winter solstice is in three months, right."

She nodded, not sure where he was going.

"If you don't break this curse by then, I will find a way to kill you."

He stalked out of small room directly below deck. It was mostly used for storage and as a place for the crew to relax in peace. Kat floated down into the room. She wished she could just sink to the bottom of the ocean, and hide from everything.

She was sure he'd find some way to kill her. Even if, at the moment, he couldn't. Kat was a like a ghost here. She wasn't transparent, and looked one-hundred percent normal. She still wore her black, baggy hoddie with a black tank underneath and the same light blue jeans and nike sneakers. She couldn't touch anything, every time she tried she would simply pass through it.

Kid could touch her and she could touch him. But the catch, they couldn't hurt each other. Kid tried, he threw knives at her, tried straggling her, he tried everything, but he could never harm her.

The crew accepted her as the ghost of some girl they killed or something in the past. Only Killer knew the truth about the curse and about her. Kid didn't want his crew knowing that their captain was cursed by some stupid brown haired girl, and what he had to do to break it. Stupid male pride.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Kat trembled in the air, curling into a ball. "I don't know anything! I don't have the book. How the hell am I supposed to break this curse? Dammit. I wish Becky was here, she'd know what to do. She's so much more logical under stress. Dammit... that's it!"

She glided up through the ceiling onto the deck. The vast, white sails rippled in the air high about her head and seagulls flew in lazy arks across the sky. A small island could be seen far off on the port side, green and hazy in the distance.

There. She decided. There would be where she would start her plan of getting Eustass Kid to have sex with a man and end her nightmare!

* * *

"Where the H-E-double-hockey-stick did you hide my book!" Rebecka screamed as she pounded on her brother's bedroom door. Heavy metal music blasted from inside. She kicked the door, gathering all her rage into it and got nothing, but a hurt foot.

"James you snake! Give me my book back! God I hate you! James, I hate you!" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Why was she so helpless? Why was she helpless now! Why. Why now? Kat was... Kat was. She needed that book! Why did he take the book and hide it? If it was one of his stupid tricks then she was going to kill him. Kill him and dance on his grave and burn everything in his room. He was the cruelest person she knew.

He used to be this great guy. Someone she could trust.

But now, he was the king of jerks.

Jame's opened his door, brandishing a steel bat. He swung at her, she jumped back, the bat missing her nose by centimeters.

"I'm trying to do homework." He said coolly, pointing the bat at her. "Do I bother you when you do your homework?"

"Yes. Every time I-"

"No. I don't."

"You shot me with a paintball gun when I was studying for my science quiz."

"So why can't you just leave me alone?"

She bit back her scream of frustration, opting to glare at him with all her hatred. This was getting her nowhere. Jame's was a writhing snake that twisted words and truths into his own reality.

"I want the book." She said sharply.

"I don't know what you're talking about." James said slowly. He did know. She could see it in his eyes. He was doing this to her on purpose. "Now if you-"

The phone rang downstairs.

"Would go get the phone." He smirked, " because I'm studying." And he slammed the door in her face.

Rebecka fumed all the way down stairs, kicking at the walls and pounding her feet against the ground. The phone hung from the wall in the kitchen. It wasn't wireless and had a long, twisted cord. Rebecka jumped over the kitchen counter, picking the phone up off it's base.

"Hello, Thornson residence."

"Yes, is this Rebecka?" It was Professor Schwartz. She'd recognize his voice anywhere.

"This is her." Rebecka said a little too loudly. Why were they calling so soon? It's only been two days since she left California.

"It's Professor Schwartz from the Collage of Ridgeway. How are you Rebecka dear?"

"I'm alright."

"I just found out the most amazing thing today." The professor said excitedly, Rebecka could imagine his mustache wriggling as he talked. "A museum curator came by the school the other day. He wanted to put some of our research in his museum when he saw the pictures of your book. He was very excited about them and wants to see the real thing."

"Th-that's... great!" She lied.

On the other line the professor laughed heartily, "I'm sure he could tell you girls a lot about that book. It's history, origins. He's an expert on early Chinese culture. I can set up a meeting for this weekend. You'll have to fly back if that's no problem."

"I really appreciate your effort." Said Rebecka, "But we must decline. Thank you anyways. Good bye." She hung up before he could get a word in. She reached into her back pocket, pulling out the computer disk she stole from the school.

She never returned it, and she didn't plan to. She hated to lie to Kat. Hated it. But she couldn't trust the students or the professor, or anyone in that school. Something deep inside her, told her that it was all wrong. Everyone has an ulterior motive, everyone would do anything to get the book.

She wont let them have it. Not now. Kat's life was in danger and if they really wanted that book they would have to pry it from her cold, dead fingers.

* * *

Kat sat on the side of the ship, watching the waves break against the dark wood. It was nice at first. The wind blowing through the white sails, the sound of waves, the calls of seagulls. There were no noisy, vulgar men. She could stay like this forever...

until she gets bored...

which she was.

The pier was slabs of wood hammered together sticking twenty feet out into the ocean. A beach extended off the right of the pier and hooked around the island, disappearing behind the trees. A town made of dingy grey stone was carved out of steep cliff, forming a cave that the town was built deeper inside of. The streets, narrow alleys and long wooden ladders. At the bottom of the cliff she could faintly see a fountain with a statue of a man at it's center, the man's head and left arm gone.

It just looked so interesting. She really wanted to check it out. But Kid told her to stay on the ship, that she was bad luck or something. Then again, she wasn't one to follow orders.

She shook her head, clearing her mind. She couldn't stay on this ship! She'd rot from boredom. Deciding to take her chances she floated off the ship to the pier. A quick glance around and she floated down the road leading to town, making sure her feet touched the ground. People don't normally like to see floating girls.

The town burrowed into the cliff side. The deeper in the darker it because as the natural light faded away. Torches lit the town deep down, like lightning bugs at night. She walked around the statue and fountain, it was in horrible condition. The fountain was broken, occasionally squirting out little bursts of water, and the water in the small pool was green, and discussing. She wished she couldn't smell it. The town was eerily quiet. Water dripped off the side of a house, splashing into a shallow puddle.

She could hear a faint sound coming from deeper in. A soft hum that was always changing, growing louder or dimmer. She followed the sound into the town. The streets were like a maze, zig-zaging around buildings, some turning at right angles and others curving around or going of at a 45 degree angle.

The sound came from a well lit building down the street. The only building with lit windows. The noise was the collective sound of people talking, laughing and even sobbing. The outside of the building was white with dried, red blotches that Kat hoped was not blood. A sign hung from above the open door.

_Wilke's Tavern_

She peeked inside through greasy, yellow glass windows. The people inside were blurred and misshapen. Everyone appeared to merge together as they danced and partied. Was it Kid and everyone? It didn't look or sound like them.

This town was so strange. She glanced over her shoulder, peering into every dark space around her. Did anyone live here? She stared into black windows, black houses. Why was there no one in the town but people in the tavern? It was a big town, then wouldn't it have a proper harbor and not that raggidy pier?

Alarms were whirling in her head. There was really something wrong here, but what?

"Eh? Who's this? I thought we chased out all of those no good pirates."

Kat's head spun around, two men stood at the door, five feet away from her. They wore uniform white shirts with blue collars and long blue slacks. Marines.

"I live here." Kat lied, making herself look small before the two Marines. She stuck her lower lip out, widening her eyes. "I was out in the forest gathering herbs and when I came back everyone was gone."

They were both very drunk. She could smell the liquor spilling off their breaths, their brows knitted together as they thought.

"Pirates have controlled this island for months. How could you have..." He trailed off, looking over his shoulder to the other man. Words passed between them silently and the other Marine turned back into the bar, shouting over the noise.

The Marine lunged for her, but he was drunk and missed her completely, tripping on his own feet and falling flat on his face.

Kat took the the air immediately, the tavern was silent now, someone talked in hushed but urgent tones. She floated to the roof of the bar as Marine after Marine ran out. There was thirty of them in all, the last man tall, muscular built and wearing a white coat. The white shirt Marines saluted him.

"Looks like we celebrated too soon." The white jacket man said, pulling his hand through his wavy black hair. " Private Jenkins. Call the ship and tell them to circle back around the island. Say that there are more pirates that are in need of extermination."

"Man." A Marine whispered to his friend beside him. "I thought we took care of those no good pirates already!"

"They're like bugs." The other whispered back. "They always come back."

"Which is why." White Coat man turned to the two Marines. "We must exterminate them until there are none left. So quite your blabbering, sober up, and search this island for the pirates."

Kat, halfway phased into the tavern, listen to all of this. She watched as White Coat man, Captain Langs he was called, ordered his men into groups of five and sent them on. Captain Langs left with the last group of men, who were to search the town thoroughly. They were given her description. A brown haired brat dressed in black.

As soon as they turned their backs on her she floated up through the top of the cave ceiling and through the cliff. It was really strange traveling through rock. It was pitch black, and she couldn't see a thing but she knew she was going though solid rock. It was really, really weird.

When she came up, the sun shined brightly in her eyes, she was in a grassy, open field. Wild flowers spread out around her, splashing the light green field with yellow, blue and purples. She came fully out of the ground, looking all around her.

Where the hell was everyone? If they got caught by the Marines and sent to Impel Down she would never be able to get Kid to break the curse! Though... she thought bemusedly. It would have been much fun to go there the way she was now. Floating about, no one able to catch her. She could 'break in' and 'break out' as much as she wanted. Go through all the levels, torment the warden... vice warden... yes. It would have been much fun.

No!

No, no, no, no! She can't let herself get distracted! She had to find the others, warm them and get the hell off this island!

The field angled down, away from the cliff face, descending into dark, patchy forest that covered the rest of the island. The field was the highest spot on the whole island. Out at sea, at the opposite end of the island from the pier and the ship was the Marine's ship. Three thick masts and white sails crawling it's way through the deep, blue waters.

She didn't know how long she had until they reached the pier but she knew it wasn't long. At that pace it would take an hour, maybe two. Could she find Kid and everyone before then? If the Marines got to the pier and took the ship the Kid Pirates would be trapped on the island. Then jail and a sweet kiss goodbye to her life.

It was time to panic.

* * *

Rebcka sat downstairs in the living room, laying on her green sleeping bag. Ever since she visited Kat in the hospital should couldn't go downstairs into the basement. She felt responsible. She wasn't there to help Kat. Her best friend was in danger and she was in California, safe and sound sleeping in a nice hotel bed.

The TV was on, the news channel people talking about the current local news. Her house was on the news that morning. The headline...

_Teenage girl, assaulted by father, found in a coma_

It was the most horrible thing Rebecka had to watch in her life. James came down that morning to watch as well. He asked her if she was going to go to school and she said no. He laughed went back upstairs afterwords.

The news channel talked about Kat, even showed her school photo. They talked about her writing awards and then about her father, showing his picture as well. Rebecka never meet or saw Kat's parents. She knew they were both alcoholics and abusive and that was it. Looking at her father she saw that he and Kat looked very alike. The same brown hair, same nose... she almost turned the TV off then and there.

The news got to the story, Kathline, found in a coma half a mile away from home in her friends basement. They talked about how James found her and her father, who was blinded by unknown means, and dialed 911 for help. They talked a lot about the strangeness of the scene. Again about Mr. Reevus's unknown blindness and then Kat's body. It was surrounded by broken glass but there was not a single scratch on her body.

Investigators were just starting their search of the basement when Rebecka came home from California, she kicked them out of the house, shouting whatever could get them to leave sooner. James tried to stop her but she was determined and eventually everyone left.

She didn't want to go to school. Didn't want to deal with people asking her about the 'indecent'. It's been days since she's been in school. James stayed home with her, though every other word out of his mouth was "homework" or "up coming projects".

James still refused to give her the magic book. She searched the whole house save for his room (it was always locked) and found nothing. There where times she wanted to give up and she slapped herself hard in the face. Kat couldn't give up. Kat couldn't stop the curse because she couldn't break it.

She curled up on the couch and stared at the TV, not fully watching, but rather thinking.

The doorbell rang.

She sat up from the couch, glancing at the clock as she went. It was ten past twelve pm. James shouted down the stairs for her too get it- he had homework.

Rebecka heaved a sigh, extracting herself from the couch. Her mother looked out from the kitchen, dark bags under her eyes, her face paler than ever.

"Be- be careful." She said shyly. "It could be someone wanting to break in again." She was very shaken by Kat and her father and the incident.

"I will." Rebecka smiled back reassuringly. Her mother nodded, retreating into the kitchen.

Rebecka took her time getting to the door. Wondering who it could be. It was probably the police again, checking in on them for the umpteenth time. She stood on her tip-toes to look through the peep hole. The face of a middle aged woman with bright red hair flowing down her shoulders and a wide, dark red lipstick smile meet her. Rebecka pulled the door open.

"Aunt Poppy!" She screamed, hugging her aunt around her shoulders. "I haven't seen you in ages! How... why... I- you're here! Here! I thought you were in China? Why are your here? How are you-"

"Shush, darling!" Her aunt smiled, speaking in a thick, southern accent. "Your brother called me! Saying that there was this big emergency. So, here I am! Why don't you let me in and we'll cook up some grub and get a chatin'."

Rebecka let go of her aunt, taking a step back in shock. "J-James?" She squeaked. "James... called you?"

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: A hard but satisfying chapter to write. So please review! I love hearing what _you_ think of my story!


	7. Shitty Morals

Tally Mai-chan: This chapter flew from my hands. Last chapter took me months to write and this one two days. Go figure. It's a awesome chapter so enjoy!

**Warning: Lots of blood and graphic violence in chapter.**

Chapter 7: Shitty Morals

* * *

Rebecka stood back from her aunt, both hands pressed over her mouth. She couldn't believe it. The person she wanted to see most in the word and James was the one to call her.

Aunt Poppy let herself in with a smile, announcing her arrival to the whole house. Lilla wandered in, observing her sister with wide blue eyes.

"Poppy." She breathed, rushing into her sisters arms, tears streaming down her eyes. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"My gosh darlin'!" Poppy laughed, "you look twenty years older! I'll have to call you big sis now."

"Please don't." Lilla cried, wiping her eyes with her wrists. "I'm your little sister. Forever your little sister."

James ran into the hall, aiming a high-five at Aunt Poppy. The red haired woman gave him a hard slap and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Let's go talk about this big emergency." Aunt Poppy said. "Lilla, would you please go get me some lemonade? Or anything, I just want something to drink."

Lilla nodded, gliding down the hall and into the kitchen. The sounds of pots and pans shifting around could be heard.

Aunt Poppy, James and Rebecka sat down in the living room, gathered around each other on the couch. The TV played in the background, the news channel on.

Aunt Poppy turned to Rebecka excitedly. "So girl! How'd you like that book I sent you? That was a real find right there. It's a bit old though, did it arrive all right? I didn't get damaged did it? Hmm? Rebecka... Rebecka girl, are you listening to me?"

Rebecka jumped, she didn't realize Aunt Poppy talking to her. Her aunt started talking about the book and she couldn't stop thinking about Kat. It's been days since Kat was put into a coma. She searched her aunts face, trying to think up an answer to a question she didn't know.

"Y-yeah..." She said softly.

Aunt Poppy nodded. Lilla came in, carrying three glasses of pink lemonade. They each took one and Lilla left to go back into the kitchen, humming as she went.

"Where's the book?" Aunt Poppy asked.

Rebecka turned to James hard, her eyes narrowing. James sat across from her, cool and collected. He had a good poker face. As passive as a snake, laying in the tall grass.

"Did you know anything... strange about the book Aunty?" He said.

Rebecka swallowed hard.

Aunt Poppy smiled knowingly. "That it's magic? Yes, I know."

"What." Rebecka gasped. "You... you knew about the book, that it can-"

"Create portals to other worlds? Yes. I did. I even used it myself." She leaned back against the couch, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I used it to create an imaginary world. I thought that it would have been a wonderful gift for you. You would write stories then explore the worlds you created through the book. I wondered how long it would take you to figure the book out. Did you help her James?"

"No." James said coldly. He stood up suddenly, turning his back to them.

Aunt Poppy sat up, looking from him to Rebecka who stared at the floor solemnly. "Tell me." She demanded.

"Then you should sit back down." Rebecka said to her aunt. "Not to sound cliched but it's a long story."

* * *

Kat had a plan. A big, fat, juicy plan.

Find the pirates. Warn them of the Marines. Get them back to the ship and sail off into the the sunset to the next non-marine, male populated island.

Brilliant.

She scoured the forest, looking for Kid and his crew. The forest, populated by tall, thick trees and heavy undergrowth, didn't help her in anyway.

Tree's exploded next to her head.

"Shit!" She cried, ducking down. Behind her, through the trees she saw five Marines, and five muskets pointed at her. She floated into the underbrush, phasing through the bushes and ferns. The Marines shouted after her.

They lost track of her and were desperately trying to find her again. She phased through the trunk of a tree and came face to face with five more Marines.

They pointed their guns at her and one of them shouted.

"Halt Pirate! Don't move or we will shoot."

Kat growled. She was getting tired of these stupid Marines. So she did what any normal, American person would do. Handle this diplomatically.

She stuck her tongue out and gave them two special fingers.

"Why you!" The Marines shouted, not appreciating her civil attempts at communicating.

Kat thought of mooning them when their guns started to quiver.

"H-hey! What's going on?" They shouted, helpless as their guns flew from their hands and into the forest. "Y-you!" The turned to her, grabbing at her. She couldn't help but laugh as they fell right through her.

"What is she? A ghost?"

"I want your soul." Kat moaned, holding her arms out before her in similar fashion to a zombie. "I want your body!"

Gun fire exploded across the forest, a barrage of bullets flying, hitting tree's, bushes, and Marines. It was the Marines guns, sailing through the air above her head.

The Kid Pirates ran through the forest, Kid and Killer in the lead.

"Bout time I found you guys!" Kat shouted as a gun flew through her head. "Listen! There's a whole bunch of Marines and this Langs guy on the island! And there's a war ship too! If you guys don't get back to the ship soon you'll be trapped here!"

"We know that already." Kid said, glancing at the bodies of the dead Marines. "Where do you think we're heading now."

And they ran on past her, heading back the way she came. At least they knew the way. Kat floated up beside Kid, knowing that there was no way in hell she would be able to keep up if she had her body. She was a terrible runner.

"How'd you guys find out about the Marines." She said casually.

"Just now." Killer said. The guy was in tight jeans, a black shirt and wore a mask. Everyone else was sweating like hell, even Kid. The island had to be hot.

"How are you not hot?" Kat said seriously.

Kid glared at her. "Where did these Marines come from." He said it so accusingly she felt like she summoned them straight from the magic book.

"They came from town. They were throwing some party because they kicked a bunch of pirates off the island. I thought you guys went to check out the town. How come you didn't run into them?"

More gun shot gang in the distance. Marines shouted between the trees. The forest was clearing and she could see blue peeking out through the tree trunks far to her left. Ten Marines ran through the forest ahead of them, stopping to organize themselves into formation and fired. Five more Marines attacked from the side.

The Kid Pirates took cover behind the trunk of a wide tree. Purple sparks flew off Kid's hands as he repelled the fire back. Killer tried to dash around the tree to attack the Marines flanking him but the gun fire was too heavy for him to get through.

"Shit." Kat swore, knowing she was about to do something really stupid. "I'll distract them!" She shouted and phased through the tree. Flying through the air like an arrow to the Marines attacking from the side.

Somehow the sight of a teenage girl flying through the air, invulnerable to their bullets was a damn scary sight. They dived to the side as she cut through them. Men stumbled for their weapons, turning their backs on the pirates to fire at her.

Killer was there, right behind them when she turned around. His scythe blades swilling. Sliding through the air. Decapitating the Marines. She closed her eyes before she could see more. But the sight was flashing through her head. She couldn't forget it. She wanted to throw up.

When she opened her eyes she was on the forest flood, the bloody face of a Marine, eyes as wide and open as his mouth. Silently screaming.

She screamed bloody hell.

* * *

Aunt Poppy was silent for a long time. James took to a sunny spot by the back patio window. Rebecka shifted on the couch, her mouth tightened into a grim line. She watched her aunt and brother, trying to read their thoughts.

James was the biggest mystery of all to her. He was never like this. Quiet, distant, actually trying to help her. After he entered high school three years ago he was nothing but mean and nasty to her and Kat.

"I never intended this." Aunt Poppy said.

"I know." Rebecka grasped the woman's hand. "Don't blame yourself Aunty."

Aunt Poppy smiled, wiping tears from her eyes. "You're so mature Rebecka. You know, I always wanted to meet Kathline. She sounded like a great friend."

Rebecka stared out the back window. "Yeah. She is."

James spun around. "Well?" He shouted.

The two woman blinked at him.

He gritted his teeth, and turned back around. His shoulders trembled as he fought to control his anger. He was mad. Madder than Rebecka had ever seen him before. When he turned back around, all anger was gone. His face as blank as a poker card.

"The magic book did something to Kat. I think that it did something that night. I heard sounds coming from downstairs. I heard banging, shouting. I ran down and saw the hole in the basement door. When I got to the stairs there was this flash of light. I found Kathline's father on the ground. And I saw her next to the book, surrounded by glass."

"A flash of light?" Rebecka questioned.

"Yeah. It was a bright... blue light. Like a firework."

The doorbell rang.

"Again." Rebecka jumped up from the couch.

Lillia's head popped around the kitchen doorway. "I'm not expecting anyone."

Aunt Poppy denied having invited anyone and James shrugged.

"It better be some dead, Chinese guy telling us about the magic book." Rebecka muttered before leaving to answer the door. She looked through the peephole and saw black nothing. She felt her gut tighten. Peepholes shouldn't be black.

The door bell rang again.

James appeared behind her. "Are you going to answer it?"

"The peephole is black, I can't see through it."

"They're holding their finger against it. So we can't see them." He slowly turned the dead bolt. It closed with a soft click. "Keep your voice down." He said.

Rebecka didn't know why he said it. They were already whispering.

The doorbell rang again, followed by harsh knocks on the white painted wood. Rebecka moved closer to James. He stepped protectively in front of her.

There was silence. Their hearts beating rapidly inside their chests. Fast rushes of air boomed in her ears. It was her breathing.

"I think he's gone." James said.

Wood exploded and the room rushed around her. Red splattered across her face and James was on the floor, both hands clutched tightly around his leg. Blood oozing through his fingers. A small, ragged hole though the lock below the door handle. The Door shuttered as someone pushed against it, stopped by the dead bolt.

It was blasted away by another shot. A bullet slicing through her shoulder and missing James' head by centimeters. Aunt Poppy was in the hall with them, a first aid kit in hand. The door was kicked open.

Nathaniel Hawth stood in the open doorway. In his hands, a handgun. "Miss Rebecka." He said softly, smiling at her. He wore his black suit, with a white shirt and a red tie.

Rebecka was too stunned to speak. Why. She wanted to scream. Why. Why. Why. Why?

Beside her James groaned, glaring at Nathaniel. It would have looked much more intimidating if his face wasn't contorted with pain. Aunt Poppy refused to look away from the gaping hole in his leg, a few inches below the knee. She wrapped the wound in white bandages and was getting ready to move on to Rebecka's arm.

"Don't!" Nathaniel shouted, pointing the gun at her.

Rebecka shuttered. The floor, the walls, her shirt and shorts, all stained with her's and James' blood.

"Get away from her." He said, motioning with the gun.

That woman. That brave, eccentric woman. "No."

"Do it." Nathaniel hissed. He wasn't messing around. He wasn't some silly student at some rich school. His glasses were gone and his blue eyes were sharper than ever.

"She's injured. She'll bleed to death."

"It's shallow. She'll live."

"Aunt Poppy I'll be fine." Rebecka stuttered, cringing at how weak she sounded. It only made the woman even more determined.

"Listen boy. I've been held at gun point by sons-of-bitches ten times more scary than you. Hell. I gave birth while being held at gunpoint." It was true. Aunt Poppy always told the story at family gatherings. "I've even been attacked by wild natives with spears and arrows. I've had to dive off a burning boat into shark filled water," Her second favorite tale. "Don't mess with me boy."

James jumped. Grabbing Nathaniel's leg and biting hard into it. That boy was a beast. Nathaniel howled in pain and hit James with the butt of his gun. Aunt Poppy attacked next, knocking the gun from Nathaniel's hand.

Rebecka sat in the mist of all the action. Too stunned, too scared to do anything. The gun skidded to a stop before her knees. Aunt Poppy and James struggled against Nathaniel, fighting to push him out of the house.

Somewhere far away a woman screamed. Her mother. James shouted. Aunt Poppy punched Nathaniel hard in the face. Two white teeth fell out of his mouth. Rebecka stared at the gun. She could easily pick it up and grab it.

Nathaniel roared like a terrible beast and kneed James between the legs, kicking his fresh wound. Unable to bear the pain James rolled to the side, his eyes locking onto Rebecka. He shouted.

Nathaniel grabbed Aunt Poppy by the hair and slammed her face into the wall. Blood spurted from her nose and dribbled down several cuts on her face. He lunged forward. Picked up the gun. Locked eyes with Rebecka.

And fired the gun.

* * *

Kat cried from terror. Thankful that she couldn't pee her pants. She never watched gory movies, never read anything gory. The closest she ever got to gore was the neighbor house on Halloween.

Killer moved on, shortly after doing away with the five Marines. Already the Kid Pirates had taken out the ten Marines before them and were almost out of sight.

Before she could even begin to think rationally she had to get away from blood bath before her. She floated through the trees, trembling as she went. The forest ended thirty feet away, opening into a grassy field. A road leading to town cut through it. She could see the pier and the ship docked. It had to be at least a mile away.

"Shit!" Someone shouted.

Kat had just got through the forest when twenty shadows leaped out of the grass, attacking the Kid pirates.

"It's those monkeys!"

Kat watched in shock as twenty, tan colored monkeys the size of cows attacked the pirates. She could see the long, sharp fangs bared and ready. They didn't stand a chance against the pirates. They were terribly viscous. Even when one's head was cut off the beast's arms still swung, catching someone on the back.

In twenty minutes the monkeys were dead. The Kid Pirates more or less intact. Everyone sporting cuts or scrapes.

In a daze she floated to the pirates, trying not to look at the blood staining the green field.

"These monkeys attacked us the moment we came to this road. "Killer explained to her. "They took our log post and ran off with it. We found them and killed them. These must have been the rest."

Kid saw how pale she was. "Whats wrong?" He mocked, faking concern. "Feel sorry for the monkeys?"

"Shut up." Kat growled, feeling absolutely sick to her stomach. The faces of the dead Marines flashing through her mind.

Kid grinned. "Never seen someone get killed before your eyes?"

"Shut up!"

"What bitch. Don't like the sight of blood?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Kat screamed, tears bursting from her stupid, prideless eyes. "God! I wish you would just die!"

"That could be arranged."

They all turned down the road where ten Marines, lead by their Captain, came running down. Langs unnaturally calm, not a hair out of place on his perfect head. His only weapon a light blue musket. He grinned like a cocky bastard.

"Line up nicely so I can shoot you.

Kid smirked, holding his hands up. "Sorry but I seem to have a problem with authority. I don't listen to orders that well."

Langs laughed. "I hate pirates. You lawless scums make the world a disgusting place."

"Your face seems to be doing that well enough."

Killer tensed, and so did the others. Kat looked between the two forces. Marine and Pirate. Something wasn't right about Lang's gun. Muskets were usually brown, not blue. He was way too confident.

"Captain Kid of South Blue. Unknown Devil Fruit with magnetism powers. You're famous for the destruction you cause, and the amount of lives you and your nakama have taken. Not that any of that matters, for you've never meet me. I'm famous too, famous for the amount of pirates I have rid the world of."

"Oh." Kid said. "I've never heard of you. You never heard of him Killer?"

"Nope."

Langs scowled, aiming his musket for Kid's head. "I'd like to say it was a pleasure. But pirates are never pleasurable."

"Shoot me bitch." Kid laughed, arms open wide.

"Wait." Kat screamed. "The gun! There's something wrong with the gun!"

Several things happened at once.

Langs shot his musket, a mean smirk on his face. Purple sparks showered off of Kid's fingers but the bullet, larger than any normal musket round should be, was unhindered. Kat shot forward, colliding into Kid from the side. He tried to kick her off, but lost his balance and feel straight down to the ground. The Musket bullet burring into his side.

The crew shouted and Marines let out a torrent of fire. Langs shot and killed two pirates. The two sides clashed. Killer went after Langs, his scythes cutting the blue musket in half.

Below her Kid grabbed the collar of her shirt, jerking her down to his face.

"Seastone" She whimpered. "I think the gun and the bullets... were made of seastone."

Kid swore colorfully. Shoved her to the side and stood up.

"Stop! You have a hole in your side! You can't move!"

"Shut up!" Kid pushed her face into the dirt. Hi pressed his foot against the back of her neck, pinning her down. Purple sparks, and the Marines lost their guns. The weapons flying high up into the air, then rocketing down to the earth. Pirates scattered as the Marines were skewered by their own weapons.

Kat closed her eyes. Unable to watch.

"Shity pirates." Langs heaved, blood trailing from a long, deep gash on his arm. "You wont make it off the island alive. Look, our ship is within range of yours. Any second now it will fire its cannons and sink your pitiful ship."

Blood dribbled from the side of the Marine Captains mouth. He fell to his knees, eyes like a savage animal. Killer stepped forward and finished the man.

Kid stepped off her and started toward the ship, hobbling before easing into a steady, slow run. His crew followed close behind. None of them looked back to her, laying still in the blood soaked field. She floated up into the air, her eyes closed the whole time and followed them. Opening her eyes only long enough to tell she was going in the right direction.

When she retched the ship it was flurry of activity as the pirates struggled to get the ship ready and get the hell out of there. She floated below deck, not wanting to get in everyone's way. The ship trembled and shook as the Marine ship fired it's cannons. An explosion above told her they were hit.

The ship was out at sea and no other cannon ball hit them. Probably because of Kid. She thought. Down below deck and pressed herself against the wall, huddled next to a stack of crates. She forgot what they held. Not that it mattered.

A shadow flicked across the wall, coming from the stairs that led from the deck to here. She didn't want to see any of them and phased inside of a crate, closing her eyes. She wished she could sleep.

Hours passed and she had not moved. Images of the island and what happened there rewound continuously in her mind like a bad movie marathon. Much more gruesome and sick than what actually happened. Kid's taunts rang loud in her head.

Deep down, she expected this. In the manga Kid said he killed people for laughing at him. Killer was called the "Massacre Man". They were pirates, very different from the Straw Hat crew. Almost exact opposites.

She didn't want to believe it. She had lived in denial and had paid for it.

Her mind was swaying, pitching and reeling. She realized it wasn't her mind but her. She phased out of the create. No, the whole ship was turning side to side. Loose creates slid across the room and the ship groaned in labor. She floated up to the deck.

It was a storm. Rain shot the deck and crew like bullets. People were shouting at the top of their lungs, trying to be heard over the howling wind. The ship, Kat forgot what kind, had two masts. A large main one and a smaller one. The smaller one was cracked at the base, and had fallen on top of the main mast. Kid's crew struggled to push the broken mast aside and tie up the sails. Waves, twice the size of the ship rose up on either side. The whole sea black and turbulent.

She saw Kid and the ships doctor standing beside the rail, Kid's arm wrapped around it. His side was a bloody mess, the once white bandages crimson red with blood. They were shouting at each other for several moments until Kid said something that got the doctor to back way. He ran off to help the crew.

She watched everything, detached from it all. Kid's eyes caught her. She looked away, debating where to hide in the ocean or deep inside the ship. It _was _rather fun to watch Sea Kings try to eat her. Kid pulled himself across the railing, walking normally. His side hurt him, she could tell. His face would tighten, but he was far too stubborn to show his pain.

Kat didn't want to hear whatever he had to say. A wave, thirty feet tall, hit them, water gushing across the deck, swallowing everything . All of the ship except the two masts disappearing under the ocean.

Kat felt nothing, black water pushing through her. And when the water receded Kid was on the other side of the rail, dangling over the ocean. All of the crew was on the masts, working to tire them up or get rid of the fallen mast.

Kat, swore at her stupid, shitty morals and grasped at Kid's hand. His hand slipped from the wet wood and he fell. She couldn't hold onto anything. It was her strength vs. his weight. She lost, and slid through the rail, falling with him into the ocean.

She and Kid fell down, down, down into the black water.

Kid sunk, his hand clutched tightly around hers. With all her might and will she pushed herself up, pulling him with her, through the water. She clawed and kicked her way up, feeling no fatigue. Kid was heavy, and she wasn't sure if she could reach the surface before he drowned.

Doubt picked at her mind, shouting that she couldn't do it. The surface was thirty feet up, and Kid was getting heavier. Why was she even helping him? What did he ever do to make her feel privileged to save him. She had shitty morals, that's what. She couldn't stand by while someone suffered before her.

The surface was twenty feet away, she pushed harder. Ten feet. Kid was getting heavier, she was slipping down. Twenty feet. No! She focused everything she had into pulling him. Ten feet. Almost there. Five feet.

She broke the surface, and pulled Kid's head above the water. He was out cold. She put her ear against his chest, all the while keeping him afloat. That was damn hard too! She could hear faint beats. She put her ear against his mouth. He was breathing, but barely.

A great, black object, passed through her, knocking Kid underwater. He slid underwater, falling five feet before she could pull him back up again.

It was the broken mast. The wood bobbed in the water halfway. Staying evenly above the water. Thinking fast she pulled Kid up on top of it. An easier task than she imagined. The storm raged and raged, wind and rain blasting with frightful force.

The ocean and sky was black, lightning flashed. The ship was a blob on the waves. Far, far away.

"Help!" Kat shouted. Kid layed across his belly on the mast, she was on his other side, using her strength as a weight to keep him in place. Her arms wrapped around his and her face pressed against the side of his head. "Hey! Over here!"

Lightning flashed. The ship was heading away from them.

"HEEELP!" She screamed, crying. It was hopeless. They would never hear her scream. "HEEEEEELP!"

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: *sits in front of laptop with an evil grin on face* Muaahahahahaaa! My, my! The girls seem to be in a pickle! Want to find out what happens next?

THEN REVIEW! Please?


	8. Kat's Adventure: He wants sex!

Tally Mai-chan: Inspiration for this chapter? 'Body Language' by Queen. This is the longest chapter to date. Why? Because there are no cliff hangers. Happy? You should be.

**Warning: This chapter contains sex. Lots of it. And Kid n' Kat's dirty, dirty mouths**

Chapter 8: Kat's Adventure: He wants sex!

* * *

Kat officially hated the ocean. She thought it was as boring as hell on a ship. Out in the middle of the ocean with a certain red haired captain, the monotony was enough to kill. There was absolutely nothing to do. She couldn't even sleep to pass time. God, she missed sleep! The first thing she was going to do when she gets back home is to flop down into her bed and sleep for a whole week.

"An island." Kid grunted.

"Good." She sighed, she was getting tired of holding onto him. Twice she let go and he fell into the ocean.

It was their third day floating out at sea. Kid woke on the morning of second day. Enlightening her ears with colorful chatter. Translation, cuss words spewed from his mouth and not a single 'thanks' was given.

The thought of Sea Kings sent chills down her spine. Kid's wound bleed out into the ocean, leaving a trail of red behind them. Paranoia made every shadow under the waves, a shark or Sea King. They haven't seen a single one, and that's what scared her the most.

"How are you feeling." She found herself asking.

"Fine."

"It must hurt."

"No."

"Liar."

Kat didn't bother looking at the island until the ocean current heaved them upon it's pure white shores. Tall, palm trees with neon green leaves dominated the shore line. A powdered layer of snow dusting the beach and plants.

The palm trees, the white flowers that grew at their trunks, and every other plant they could see bore a strange white fruit. The fruit looked like a bunch of grapes that had partly melded together.

Kid jumped for the nearest fruit baring plant and ate everything within reach. Shedding his fur coat, and boots. He studied his pistol, aimed at Kat and pulled the trigger. Nothing. He tossed it aside.

"Not bad." He said, moving on to the next fruit plant. He stood up with ease, eating fruit after fruit. His skin regained color. It was like he was never even hurt.

"Somethings wrong." Kat glanced up and down the beach, eying the fruit distrustfully.

"You think everything is wrong." Kid growled, throwing fruit at her.

"Seriously!" She floated along side him as he started down the beach. "How can so many different plants bear the same kind of fruit? It's strange!"

He waved her off.

The white beach, sand and snow mixed together, was quiet. Lethargic birds hopped across the ground, churping when they walked past. They were cluttered together in groups of two, being birdy-touchy-feely with one another.

Kat figured that it was a Winter Island in it's spring season. It was beautiful. All the vibrant green plant life coated in snow. They sky was a bright pale blue and not a cloud to be seen. She was feeling pretty good. Kid was doing great too. He had torn off his bandages and the festering wound was white and waterlogged-she tried not to look at it- but how could he move so easily with an injury that bad?

"What's with you." She stared at him like he had grown an extra arm. There was no way he could have so much energy after floating at sea for three days.

"What? Can't I enjoy a walk on the beach? Oh, I'm a big, bad pirate. I can't go for strolls on beaches."

"That's not what I meant! You bleed out at sea for three days! You should be dead!"

He grinned. "I die hard, bitch."

"They say idiots never catch a cold. Guess it's the same for dieing."

"Careful. Or I'll have you exorcised and sent straight to hell."

"I am in- oh dear god!"

The beach jutted sharply into the sea, a thin line of palms following down. They cut through the palms and came out on the other side only to see an orgy of animals 'getting it on.'

Kat turned the other way. Never able to get the image of two deer... and the ducks! But the seals were the worst.

"It's just animals." Kid said. "Just sex."

"Says you." Kat muttered.

"Oh right. I forgot I was with Miss. Virgin."

Calm down Kat. Think before you speak. "Shut up! I am not a virgin!" Good going there champ.

Kid pressed up against her, grabbing her arms. "Oh really?"

Her checks flushed red. "Let go of me."

"No."

"Let go of me, please?"

"Beg."

"No!"

He leaned in closer to her, grinding his hips into hers. Her hormones exploded with virgin furry. Kid was hot. She was a weak minded virgin. Her stomach looped and knotted and her heart jumped down to her feet and back up. Speech was impossible. Thought? Try again later.

Kid let her go, heading into the woods, around the animals. Kat's face was burning hot. Her heart pounding a hundred miles a minute. Kid's head was just visible through the green and white of the palm tree forest.

"Hey!" She shouted, and followed after him.

* * *

"What now." Kat asked.

"Sex?"

"No!"

A large, rushing river roared past them. A mile long and backwards. The river was backwards. The water running from the ocean inland. The river turned sharply two miles down were the palm trees merged into a pine forest where the snow was deeper.

"You want it." Kid smirked.

Kat blushed despite herself. He was starting to scare her. He wanted to hurt her, to kill her! Not have sex with her! She floated over the river for safety.

"Let's follow the river inland. Maybe there's some locals living here." She suggested.

"No. We're staying on the beach. Everyone will be looking for us, and the beach gives us the best chance of being seen."

Kat remembered her survival movies. "But if we go inland to the highest point on the island and set up a signal fire there it will have an even better chance of being seen."

"Sure!" Kid said, heavy on sarcasm. "Just point us to the nearest mountain top and let's go!"

There were no mountains on this island. No hills, no anything. It was just one, big, flat rock with trees and snow. He could have just said no. He didn't need to be a prick about it.

They walked back down the beach, Kid snacking on fruit as they went.

"Dammit, I need some meat."

* * *

Kat was impressed. In a matter of a few hours Kid had built a shelter from two fallen palm trees, the broken mast, and palm leaves. Made a spear from a five year old sapling and had caught five fish, all of which sizzling over an open fire.

It smelled good.

"Damn." Kat said, awestruck. "I thought you'd bitch until the ship found us."

"Impressed?"

She was very impressed.

Kid peeled the scales off the fish, blowing to cool it down. He bit into the tender white meat, grimacing at the taste. "God, it tastes like seaweed deep fried in chocolate."

"It can't be that bad." She said, watching him scarf down the meat. If it was truly awful then he wouldn't be eating it.

The sun set across the horizon, painting the sky orange, and purple, fading into deep blue. Kat sat in the surf, feeling nothing as the waves passed through her. It was scary, not able to touch anything, to feel. She glanced at Kid, standing a stones throw away from her, examining his fur coat.

Kid walked over to her, sitting down on the damp sand. "See any ships?"

"I wish."

Two seals floundered up the shore, 'doin' the tango'. Kat immediately dropped through the ground, unable to bear the sight of two seals doing it again . Kid dug through the sand, pulling her out by her hair. He wrapped his arms around her chest, making sure she watched the whole 'performance'.

"You bastard!" She screamed, wriggling in his grasp. He hooked his legs around hers. "I don't want to see this! Again!"

Kid laughed the whole time. Kat coming up with more creative, and colorful threats than she thought she was capable of. To make matters worse the seals looked over at them, as if saying "do you mind?" Stupid seals. Kat officially hated seals.

The sun disappeared beneath the waves and the seals returned to the ocean, off to live and eat and hump another day.

"They're gone." Kat said. Her heart pounding against her chest.

"Hey. You can let go of me now."

Nothing.

"Heeeeeey. Oi! Kid. Are you... are you sleeping?"

She twisted her head around, and sure enough. Kid was sleeping. His head hung forward, and their cheeks brushed together. She turned back around, her face burning red. Her stomach twisted and knotted. She didn't think about the feeling that had started to swell up insider her like the tide.

She stared at the ocean, she needed to watch for the ship.

* * *

Kid groaned in his sleep. Kat peeled her eyes off the ocean to examine him. It was around midnight and he was starting to sweat. Kat could feel heat radiating off him. Did he have a fever?

She slipped out from under his arms and untangled her legs from his. He fell onto the beach, panting. She couldn't think of anything to help him. The shelter he made was right behind them, up against the palm forest. She gritted her teeth and dragged him across the sand.

Light from the dieing fire licked across their skin. His bullet wound grotesque. Fresh blood pouring from the center. It was blue and white around the edges and yellow puss secreted from several spots. It was infected.

"Great." She muttered, "Just great. I hull your ass through black stormy water, hold you onto a broken ship mast and get you to this island just so you can die of a fucking infection? Shit!"

She looked inland through the trees. What if there were people on the island? She figured the chances were good. Every island Luffy and his Crew visited on the Grand Line had people, or at least two giants.

Could she leave Kid here? But what could she do for him? She was a freaking ghost. She couldn't bring his fever down. She couldn't make a bandage by tearing their clothes- she could touch her clothes.

She pulled her black hoodie off, tugging and pulling at the thick black fabric. No good. She folded the hoodie longways and tied it around him. That should at least stop the bleeding. Now what? Kid's fingers curled in the sand, releasing and curling again. His breaths came in short, heavy pants. His whole body drenched with sweat.

She needed to cool him down.

His eyes opened halfway. Brown eyes glazed over.

"Kid. Kid , do you hear me? You have a fever." She told him, keeping her voice low and even. "I'm going to go look for help. Wait here and don't move and don't get eaten and don't die! Dammit, if you die I swear I'll kill you."

"Don t." Kid wheezed, his hand lifted feebly, reaching for her tank.

"Yeah, yeah. Your manly pride. Fuck it Kid. I will not let you die. You son-of-a-bitch I swear I won't let you die."

"-Fuck you." Kid's fingers curled around her tank, pulling her down.

"I'm going now and thees nothing you can do." Her voice cracked.

"No really."Kid propped himself on his elbows. "I'm going, to fuck you."

He was on top of her, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand. His mouth clamped onto hers, deep and full of longing. His body ground into her, his free hand exploring her chest.

"Kid! St-stop! You're hurt!" She screamed against his mouth. He pulled away, moving down to bite and suck at her collarbone. She screamed and shouted. Fear dominating her thoughts. Kid tugged at her jeans. "Stop! Please!"

She didn't want to have sex. Not this way. Call her a dreamer but she wanted to save herself dammit! She wanted to find a great guy that was strong and didn't mind talking about feelings. A guy that would kill all the bugs and fix all the broken stuff. She was going to have a small private wedding and wear a big puffy dress. Yes, she wanted to be a princess on her wedding day.

Kid tugged off her pants, fingering her.

She screamed as pain erupted on her left arm. The tattoo of the tiger, half it's body outlined in purple, burned with searing pain. Kid growled, letting go of her to hold his right arm. He rolled off her and onto to the smoldering fire.

He howled with pain, hot ashes burning into his back. Kat grabbed him, pulling him off the smothered fire. She rolled him onto his stomach to examine his back. Three wooden coals burrowed into his skin. She clawed them off, burning her fingers. The coals hit the sand, their fires burning out.

She collapsed onto the sand, her body sore. Kid was out like a light beside her. His fever going down.

What the hell just happened.

* * *

"Nice panties."

The words every woman loved to hear.

Kat shot up, looking down at her jean-less legs, then to Kid. She saw her pants five feet away, on the other side of Kid. Stare down. Kat eyed the man, he wasn't going to let her pass him without a fight.

She faked to the right, dashing to the left and diving down through the sand like a jackknife. She went shallow and wide, coming up diagonally from Kid. Her jeans three feet away. They both dived at once. Kat landed on her jeans, putting a death grip on it. Kid was on her, arms wrapping around her in a full nelson.

"Come on!" She cried, kicking her legs, and swinging her arms like a little child. "I just want my jeans!"

"No." Kid yanked the pants from her grip then kicking her into the sand. He slung her jeans across his back, taunting her. "You want them you get them."

No way in hell was she going around this island in her underwear.

"You shitty bastard."

"That's the shitty-est bastard to you bitch."

She did an extravagant bow. "Yes your Shittyness."

"Now come on. We're going to explore the island."

She gave him a look. "What happened to staying on the beach?"

"This happened." He pointed to his side. Her hoodie still tired around it, blood dripping out of the fabric. "It hurts like hell."

"It's infected." She perked up, a good idea going to her. "Maybe we should amputate."

"Yeah." Kid shouted, "Why don't we just cut my head off and put it in a glass container. Maybe build me a robot body too! With laser beams and x-ray vision!"

"That's the best idea you've had!" Kat gave the thumbs up.

"Yeah! Right!" Sarcasm.

"Come on." Kat smiled, "I'll make sure you get crab claws for hands, and rocket launchers for legs. You'd be the most bad ass pirate on the sea!"

"Crab claws are stupid." He started walking down the beach, heading for the river. "I should be able to transform into a submarine or a ship."

"Like a transformer?"

"A what?"

"Oh, there's this TV show where I'm from called Transformers. It's about these robots that come to earth and can transform into cars or planes."

"TV?" Kid cocked an eyebrow. "Cars? Planes?"

Kat was confudled-yes that is a word... to her-how the hell do you explain a car or a plane?

They came to the what she dubbed the 'Sexy Animal Orgy Party' beach. It was empty. Thank god. If she strained her ears she could hear the faint roar of the river.

"Well TV is this box that has recordings of people and sound. Like a den den mushi only different. People record shows which are dramas or stories played by actors. Its like watching the theater only at your home.

"Cars are like horse-drawn wagons without the horses. They have an engine that moves the wheels and makes the wagon move forward. And planes are... giant man-made metal birds that can fly through the sky and carry people."

"Your world has fucked up shit." Kid commented.

"That ain't the half of it..." Kat said vaguely.

The river loomed in the hazy distance. Kat glanced around them. A sudden fog crept down the beach, silently swallowing them. They could hear the river's roar growing louder but the fog was too thick. They couldn't see a thing five feet from their own faces.

"Careful." Kat warned

"Quit worrying. I have ears. Only an idiot would fall into a river this loud."

They stumbled upon the river, Kat floating two feet over the water before noticing.

Behind her Kid grinned.

"Shut up."

They followed the river inland. The fog faded but the snow grew 's breath turning into steam. He rubbed his arms, doing his duty as a man and enduring the cold. Snow fell silently from the sky. Every sound lost to the snow but the crunch of Kid's bare feet.

The strange white fruit became more abundant the further in they went. The river churned faster. The sky cloudless and the sun shone bright, but gave no warmth. Around noon Kid stopped for a short rest, pulling down her hoodie to look at his side.

It was getting worse.

He ate four pieces of fruit, licking the white juice off his fingers.

"Palm trees on the outside. Pine trees inside." Kat commented dryly. The Grand Line never failed to amaze her.

The pine trees were as tall as three story houses, their trunks as wide as a car. As far as they could see in any direction, all there was was pine trees. The pine forest, with ever lasting green needles and pure white snow, the only word to describe it: tranquil.

"Hey! Kid. Are you okay?"

Kid shivered in response. Kat floated up beside him. Her stomach twisting in knots, trying to crush her worry and embrace it all together. She hated how she wanted to help him. Shitty Morals. She wished she knew how cold it was. It could have been a hundred degrees below zero and she would be none the wiser.

"It's cold as shit." Kid said through clenched teeth.

"I thought shit was supposed to be warm and squishy."

"Heheh."

Kid staggered on his feet, tumbling forward and into the river.

"Kid!" Kat followed him into the rushing water, grabbing hold of his arm. The current too strong for her. They rocketed down river, Kid scraping across they rocky bottom. The river flung them aside mercilessly at it's next bend. Kat almost lost her grip on his arm. She pulled him onto the snow bank. She checked to see if he was still breathing.

That water had to be freezing. She ran her hands down his face.

"Wake up." She rubbed his chest, and arms. "Come on. Wake up."

Water squirted from Kid's mouth. He sat up on his elbows, coughing.

"Shit." He moaned, falling back into the snow.

"Aw hell no." Kat heaved him onto his feet. "You need to keep moving. Keep your blood running." She wrapped her arms around him, if they could touch each other then they could share body heat. "This is the last time I'll ever try so hard for you. The next island we get to and you nearly kill your ass don't come looking to me for help."

"Can't turn back now, can we?" Kid closed his eyes.

"Keep those damn eyes open!"

"Fire." Kid mumbled.

"Uh, hello? Ghost. Remember."

"Fire."

"I can't make a freaking fire!"

"You bitch. Shut up and look."

Kat was ready to dump his ass in the nearest snow pile when she saw it. Ten feet away from the bank was the burnt out remains of a fire.

A camp site. People lived on the island.

Holy shit they were saved.

* * *

The camp site was a fire, long since dead. Foot prints laced the snow, a set of large prints often trailing into the woods and coming back. A smaller set trailed around the fire.

"There are people." Kid muttered, doubled over at the waist.

"I think we should keep following the river." Kat moved below Kid, acting as his crutch, and heat source.

A light fog drifted around them. The river, an intangible blur as water rocketed into white unknown. It's current faster than ever. The fog was light but made it impossible to tell where they were. Without the river to follow she would have been good as lost.

Kid wasn't faring any better, depending on her for support. How long since he fell into the river? Twenty minutes, thirty? She didn't know how long it took for hypothermia to take affect. She examined his face. His lips were turning blue.

She tightened herself against him, rubbing his arms and chest, giving him any warmth she could. A twig snapped. She stopped. Fear washing over her. More twigs snapped.

"W-who's there!" She cried,. "I'm a ghost! I'll eat your soul if you mean harm! AAAAAHHHHH!"

She ran into a tall man. Kid slipped from her hands. The man studied her, then looked to Kid. In one fluid motion he lifted Kid and carried him into the fog.

More men appeared, all of them following the river.

Kat blinked, doing double takes.

All the men. Were naked.

* * *

The river emptied into a circular chasm at the very center of the island. The chasm was a mile in diameter and impossible to tell how far down it went. Kat tried floating down to see how deep but when she went so far down that all sun light vanished and still couldn't hear the water hitting bottom she gave up.

A village of wooden lean-to's covered in animal skin littered the edge of the chasm. The more daring people living right on it's rocky ledge. Numerous fires burned around the village, men and woman gathered around them, chatting.

The people were friendly and open. They treated Kid's wound and even made a lean-to for him to rest in. The only thing Kat noticed was strange was that everyone was naked.

Okay. Not strange. It was freaking weird. Kat stayed inside of Kid's lean-to, too scared to go outside. Why were all these people naked! Isn't if cold outside? How could they just walk around naked like it was the middle of summer!

The villagers were fascinated by her's and Kid's clothes. They had never seen clothes before! They tried to touch her, and when their fingers passed through her they screamed in fright. At least they knew what a ghost was.

They had tried to take Kid's clothes too but Kat scared them off, shouting her empty threats of eating their souls and taking their bodies.

Speaking of clothes... where were her jeans?

"Hey." Kat smacked Kid's face. The man awoke with a start.

"The hell bitch!" He growled, rubbing his eyes. He felt the fur blanket that covered him and examined the lean-to. It was three feet high and six feet long, and four feet wide. The stripped saplings that made it smelled strongly of pine.

"Where."

"Some village. We're at the center of the island. Remember the river? It empties into this giant hole! It's huge. And really deep too. And where are my jeans."

"Your what?"

"My freaking pants!"

"Left them on the beach."

Kat gaped, scouring her memory. Kid didn't have her jeans when they reached the river. How could she not notice! How could she forget about her jeans? She started to cry.

"Crying over clothes?" Kid ruffled her hair, she didn't care. It was messed up enough, after who knows how long neglect.

"N-no..." She lied, scrambling for a response. "I-I'm j-just glad that... that... your okay!"

Stupid.

"I told you." Kid grinned, laying on his back. "I die hard."

"Yeah."

She laid down beside him, watching him sleep. God, she thought, I'm starting to act like Edward Cullen. I hate that guy. Kid's face was passive as he slept. She tried not to stare. There was not much else to look at. She thought a lot while Kid slept. Thinking about what things meant to her, where she stood. Death, murder, Kid, her father, Becky, the magic book. By the time Kid woke up her mind was a mountain heap of tangled thoughts.

"Oh, by the way." She said as Kid started to crawl out of the lean-to. "Everyone here is naked."

"The women?"

"And the men. Oh and they have a fascination with clothes. They'll try to strip you so be careful."

Kid stopped moving, debating.

"Would it be the women-"

"Men will too."

"But the women-"

"Are fat, some super skinny, others have big buggy eyes. None are your type."

"You're lieing."

"Nope."

"You don't know my type of woman."

"I can take a guess."

"Go for it."

She studied him critically, humming and 'ahh'ing to herself. "Tall. Blond. Cup size C. Slutty."

Kid crawled out of the lean-to.

"Try small, A-cup virgin brunettes." He called.

Her heart skipped five beats. Her face redened.

"He doesn't mean it." She told herself, sinking into the ground. "He's just teasing you."

She stayed in that tiny lean-to, quelling the butterflies that had erupted in her heart. Was she falling for Kid? He was always her favorite character but he's a real jerk! Yeah he was hot. But jerk-ness overrules appearance. Besides, she thought, he would never kill bugs for her.

The sun was setting when boredom finally forced the small girl out of the lean-to. The sunlight reflected against the spray of the waterfall. Ten rainbows shooting off the waterfall in a ring of color. The people were together in couples of mixed or same gender. She couldn't see Kid.

To the side of the waterfall, piles upon piles of the white fruit were stacked. Each couple took a turn coming to the pile and eating from the fruit then disappearing into a lean-to.

She floated to a couple, two woman, getting ready to eat the fruit.

"What's going on?" She asked, her gut twisting.

"Noctis Amo" One answered, smiling. "Night to love. A night to celebrate the Cupio fruit that only grows once a year."

Kat stared at the white, grape-like fruit. "It there... something special about it?"

"Yes." The other woman said, picking up a fruit and biting into it, white juices dribbling down her chin. "It enhances one's desire for sex. It makes females more reproductive, and it gives one the energy of five people. On Noctis Amo, the last day the Cupio fruit grows, we feast on it and make love all night long."

"Fucking hell!" Kat screamed. It's the fruit! It's why Kid was able to walk after bleeding out at sea for three days. Why he attacked her that night.

She needed to find him, they needed to get off this island!

"Where is he!" She shouted after the two woman who had left for their lean-to.

"Over there." The woman pointed to the other side of the river, at another pile of fruit. Kid was being carried by a tall man with dark hair. Kid was very pale, blood dripping from his side. The man put the fruit in Kid's mouth, moving his jaw so he chewed.

"No!" Kat screamed shooting across the river. She drove straight through the man and into Kid, knocking him from the mans grasp.

"Ghost girl!" The man shouted. "Do not disturb our practices of Noctis Amo!"

"No way in hell will I let you touch him!" She screamed. "He doesn't want to have sex with a man!"

"There is no gender here." The man stepped forward imposingly. Other people stopped in their tracks, dark faces focused on her. "You're time on the earth is up child. Do not hold to the pleasures of the flesh and be released to the other earthly plane. Do not hinder the living."

"I'm not a ghost!" She scuttled to her feet, dragging Kid across the ground. Everyone was advancing upon her. She backed against the chasm. The villagers were surrounding her. "I'm alive alright! I just can't touch anything. And you know what? I hate it! I hate not being able to help.

"Yeah, I saved him during the storm, I kept him on that log. For what? To watch him bleed for three days, to get an infection, to get to this stupid fucking island! Yeah I saved his life, but for what? So that I could watch him suffer? I couldn't help him when he had a fever. I couldn't help him when his wound got worse. I couldn't do a damn thing!

"But I will not be so damn useless now! I won't let you have him. I won't let you! I'll-"

"You'll do what?" The man was closer, sneering at her. "What can you do? Can you fight us off? You can't."

He made a grab for Kid and she jerked Kid to the side. They formed a half circle around them. She was running out of room. She needed to think. Dark, deep chasm behind her and rapists before her. She couldn't go forward. Could she go backwards? Could she do it? No, there was no way... it was too risky.

Why was she stopping that man? It was a hard question. She could end the curse here and now. If she let this man have Kid then the curse would broken. Didn't she decide, back on that island, that she would get him to have sex with a man?

She made her choice.

"I can stop you." Kat said.

The dark haired man stepped closer. "We'll summon our shaman ghost. We'll send you to the otherworld. You have no place here on the earthly plane."

The dark haired man was sweating. His breaths, short pants. It was the fruit taking effect. Beneath her Kid's body grew unbearably hot. The people backed off as the fruit overcame them. Their sexual desire pumping into overdrive.

"I can stop you. "Kat repeated. I can stop you without even touching you. I can stop you, by not even giving you the option of taking him."

The man was overcome by desire. His eyes glazed over. He couldn't control himself any longer. He lunged forward, making a grab for Kid. Kat wrapped her arms around Kid's waist and jumped off the edge, trusting in dumb luck. They hurled downward, falling uncontrollably into darkness.

* * *

"Ugh..."

"Awake?"

"Goddamn..."

"You. Owe me. Big time."

"Is that?"

"The ship? Yep. I saw them the moment we came out of that underwater tunnel. I flew over and told them you needed treatment."

"Underwater tunnel?"

"Remember that chasm? Leads to this super long underwater tunnel that went on for miles. It was dark, but a straight shot. It spit us out on some small island."

"An underwater tunnel." He couldn't believe it either.

She gave him a tired smile. "You should rest."

He stared at her, his face empty. "Why'd you stop them."

She jumped. "W-what are you talking about? Stopped who? How could I stop anyone? I'm a ghost remember?"

Kid growled. "Don't play dumb. Back there, at that village. That guy was going to do it with me and you stopped him."

"Ooh... that..." She looked away, pressing her knees against her chest.

"If you had let him then the curse-"

"I was almost raped when I was seven."

"That-"

"My father got drunk and tried to rape me." Tears streamed down her eyes. "It was the scariest moment of my life. He threw me against the kitchen table and stripped me. My mom came home. Saw us and grabbed a pan off the oven and smacked him with it. Then she turned on me.

"'How could you do this to me?' She screamed at me. ' You filthy bitch'. She grabbed a knife and attacked me." Kat lifted her tank, showing the two, long diagonal scars across her stomach. "I ran away. I ran and ran. Eventually I got to the park and I stopped.

"That's when I meet her. She was sitting inside the monkey bars. She was like me. I knew the moment I saw her that we were just alike. That how me and Becky meet. We've been together ever since."

Fat tears rolled down her eyes. She told him her deepest secret. It was something she never talked about, never thought of. She never even told Becky, though she probably figured it out. Becky was so smart.

They sat in silence, watching as the ship inched it's way to them. Kid noticed something wrong with the ship. The sails were torn and holes littered the hull. That ship had been in a serious fight. It tugged through the deep water, the hull sliding onto shore. The crew jumped off.

They were all a bloody mess. Killer was limping.

"What the hell happened." Kid asked his first mate.

"Those monkeys." Killer said. "They belonged to a pirate crew. The one that the Marines chased off that island. A monkey stowed away on our ship, and came up after you fell over board. It took the Log Post and threw it into the sea, and started to create mayhem everywhere. We couldn't catch it and for days it tormented us.

"It found the den den mushi and took that too, the shitty thing called it's ship and they found us. They had a freaking warship. We got away, but just barely."

"Shit. So were stuck." Kid kicked the sand. "Shit! Without the Log Post..."

"Why don't we make a compass?" Kat said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her. She wished she had jeans. "I mean why don't we try to make a compass, it's better than nothing."

"Normal compasses don't work in the Grand Line." Killer said.

Kat nodded in agreement, a crazy theory forming in her mind. "What I'm trying to say is. Normal compasses are made outside of the Grand Line. But if we made on inside it-"

Killer shot her down then and there. "That won't work."

"I'm just trying to help..."

"Lets focus on fixing the ship." Kid climbed on board, assessing all the damage.

Killer stared at her. She shifted uneasy. What was he thinking under that mask of his? She had never seen under his mask, despite all her attempts. Why was he staring at her? What it because she only wore a tank and underwear? She'll kill that pervert!

Finally Killer spoke. "Nice Hickey."

"What!" She dashed through the air to Kid. "You gave me a hickey!"

Kid grinned.

She'll kill that pervert!

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: Hope you enjoyed this Kat/Kid centric chapter! Poor girl, never seems like she can get a break. Will she ever get pants? Or maybe another hickey... Mufufufu. And what about Rebecka? Find out next chapter!

But only if you **review**!


	9. Rebecka's Adventure: Wedding Day

Tally Mai-chan: Chapter nine is here! Usually by now my stories would be coming to an end but I have five+ future chapters in mind-I've been making it up as I go (^^)- so look forward to that.

Kat had her time to shine, now it's Rebecka's turn!

Chapter 9: Rebecka's Adventure: Wedding Day

* * *

Rebecka gazed across the sea. Wind whipped her red hair into tangles around her face. She rubbed her eyes, not believing the sight before her, the open ocean. A persimmon sun sank sluggishly down the sky. She glanced over the edge of the step cliff, gulping at the sight of waves crashing against the rock far below.

"Ms. Thornson?" Kalifa adjusted her glasses, securing her black clipboard against her waist. Her foot tapped impatiently. "Everyone is waiting."

Rebecka blinked. "What? Who's waiting for me?"

Kalifa rolled her eyes, erasing writing on her board and scratching in new words. "Your guests. You invited them. Now we need to hurry up or you'll miss your big day."

Rebecka stood up, wavering on the edge of the cliff. She tottered to the other side lest she take an unfortunate plunge. "I don't get what your saying. What guests? What big day?"

Kalfia wasn't enjoying this game. She strode forward, her hand wrapping around Rebecka's chin, and jerked it down.

Rebecka stared in astonishment . She was wearing a white wedding dress. It was a strapless, cream, lace latticework sowed across her chest to her hips. The dress flared out, cut down the sides and held together by white ribbon. It was stunning.

But who the hell was she marring?

* * *

Kalfia pushed her into the church, herding her down the halls and into a back room where all her 'bridesmaids', dressed in light red, were waiting. They swarmed around her, none of them Kat.

"That dress is so pretty on you!" Nami squealed.

"Maybe someone will marry me." Lola gazed willfully at the wide, cracked open doors leading into the chapel,

Alvida and Drake nodded their heads in agreement.

Wait Drake!

Rebecka did a double take, Drake was wearing a purple, strapless bridesmaid dress, his orange hair clashing terribly. How did Drake get to be one or her bridesmaids? And Lola too for that matter. Alvida and Nami were okay.

Kalifa 's head poked through the chapel doors, she pulled back quickly, slamming the door shut. "Go! Go! Go!" She opened the door back open, shoving bridesmaid after bridesmaid out. The soap woman turned sharply on her heels. "Rebecka! Here's the run-down. You will walk out these doors where your fathers-"

"Fathers?"

"Yes! Yes! Your fathers will escort you down the hall and through the the glass doors. The music will play, you'll take a step. Pause. Step. All the way down the aisle. And if you are asked anything you say 'I do'. Any questions? No. Good."

Kalifa paused, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "The music is starting. Go!"

Rebecka was thrown out the doors and into the arms of Monkey D. Garp.

"My daughter!" Garp cried, tears like waterfalls spilling from his eyes. "You look so beautiful!"

"She does." Sengoku agreed, nodding his head. He hooked his arm in hers and Garp took the other arm.

"Shall we?" They both said, smiling down at the poor, confused as hell, Rebecka.

Garp pushed the clear glass windows, opening into the chapel, decorated in white lace, and red ribbons.

The people stood and turned in place, hundreds of eyes focused on her. Garp and Sengoku pulled her forward, she struggled in their grasps but they were too strong.

"Uh, I got cold feet." She whispered. "Why don't we postpone till... never?"

Garp laughed heartily, slapping her across the back. "My Rebecka! So shy it's cute."

The alter was so far away, Rebecka had to squint her eyes to see it. The priest was Magellen. The only person she could see clearly from the distance. And as they walked down the aisle, step, pause, step, Garp crying more and more, Rebecka felt her stomach drop to her feet.

She never wanted to get married. That was Kat's thing. She was a happy, independent woman who needed no man. She could kill her own bugs(and Kat's) no problem. She knew how to fix a leaky faucet!

"I think I'm going to be sick." She faked, her hands clutching her stomach. "Can we... stop for a minute?"

"It'll pass sweetie." Sengoku encouraged her. "Just take a few deep breaths and calm down."

The worried murmur passing over the gathered crowed was white noise to her. Holding a hand over her mouth she peered up, catching a glimpse of her soon-to-be. He wore a white tux, and had flaming red hair.

"Oh god." She cried. Her stomach lurching, it wasn't who she thought it was. It wasn't.

Garp and Sengoku continued on, her in tow. She dug her feet into the ground, unwilling to take a single step near that alter.

"She's so pretty." Captain Kuro whispered to Jango in the pews. Arlong was crying and Hachi had a box of tissues in all eight hands. Vivi and Crocodile waved to her, Vivi's father glaring at any man that dared to look at his precious-never to be married until thirty-daughter.

And there she found herself. Pushed up the alter by Garp. Magellen smiling down at her.

"Today." The Impel Down warden began, cutting the cheese. "We are gathered to witness the union of two individuals."

"One of which would like to stay and individual." Rebecka said smartly, refusing to look at the man standing smugly beside her. Everyone laughed at her words.

Magellen laughed, farting as he did. Rebecka blanched, the stench to powerful for her nose. Coby and Sadi ran up from the side of the alter, waving wide bamboo fans to clear the air. Job done they ran back to their place out of sight, waiting for the next cloud of gas. Who the hell made Magellen the priest? Or Drake her bridesmaid? Or Eustass Kid her fiance.

Magellen picked up a large, leather bound book from the stand and began reading from it. Pirate ceremonies blah, blah, blah. Rebecaka scanned the alter area. She and Kid stood directly in front of the priest stand, on a round raised platform. Behind the priest stand was an ornate silk baldachin, blanketing towering glass windows, incandescent in the twilight hour.

Wiry gold candle holders as tall as her lit the alter. If she could grab one... and break the window then she could make a run for it. The candle holder would be an efficient, quick weapon. The moment had to be just right, or else they'll catch her and possibly tie her down to prevent future escape.

Most of the candles were too close to her bridesmaids or Kid's best men, she glanced behind her. Two candle holders looked good except for one Monkey D. Luffy.

The pirate captain was still as stone, his breath held tight. He held his candle high above his head, looking determined to keep that candle in that one place.

"Luffy?" Rebecka hissed to him.

"Shuush!" Luffy whispered back. "I'm supposed to be a candle holder. The scary lady (Kalifa) said candle holders don't talk."

Another poisonous gas cloud erupted and the ceremony was put on hold until the air was cleared.

"Luffy! Help me!" Rebecka pleaded. "I don't want to get married! I was forced into this! I know where One Piece is! I'll tell you if you help me!"

"Nooo!" Luffy screamed, almost dropping his candle. "Don't tell meeee! I want to find if for myself! I want to hear nothing you have to say!"

She tried everything to convince him but he ignored her like she was the devil. The ceremony continued, Kid chuckling to himself. Apparently all of this was amusing to him.

"I refuse to marry you." She hissed under her breath. "I never wanted to get married."

Magellen cleared his throat. "With that said let us continue on to the most-"

"_I kissed a girl and I liked it, _

_the taste of her cherry chapstick  
I kissed a girl just to try it, _

_I hope my boyfriend don't mind it  
It felt so wrong, it felt so right, _

_don't mean I'm in love tonight."_

Everyone turned their heads down the aisle where Trafalgar Law was digging into his pants pockets. "Sorry, sorry!" He shouted, a wide grin on his face. "I got into traffic so I'm a bit late." He turned his phone off, but that stupid song was already stuck in Rebecka's head.

"Hey man, glad you could make it!" Kid laughed, giving Law a high-five before the man took his seat in the front pew.

"Like I'd miss your wedding!" Law winked, and to Rebecka's horror licked is lips and mouthed, 'call me later' to Kid.

"Why don't you marry him!" Rebecka hissed, resisting the urge to strangle Kid. "You're just going to cheat on me with that man-whore anyways!"

Law grinned, sticking his tongue out seductively. It gave Rebecka an idea.

"Excuse me, Magellen. But my fiance is cheating on me with another man, so I don't have to marry him now, right?"

Magellen heaved a great sigh, and flipped through his book. Made an 'ah-ha!' sound when he found the page he was looking for, and chucked the book at her.

"Holy cow!" Rebecka screamed as she ducked and the book hit the unsuspecting Law in the face.

"Shut up you bitch!" Magellen shouted at her, his body excreting red poison. "Now... dose anyone oppose the union of these two individuals."

Rebecka opened her mouth, with clear intent of listing all they objections she held about this... _wedding_. Now if only Kidd's best man, Scratchman Apoo hasn't jumped across the alter to her, wrapping his double jointed arm around her head, large hand clamped on her mouth.

"Thanks man." Kid fist bumped Apoo.

"No prob bro'" Apoo chuckled, not flinching as Rebecka's foot smashed the boys down under. "Damn she's strong. Yep, I was skeptical at first but she's perfect for you. Strong willed and strong kicks."

"No one?" Magellen squinted his eyes, searching the gathered crowd of possibly every single One Piece character in existence. "Good! Then let us proceed."

Apoo took his hand off her and Rebecka screamed, "I am entirely apposed to this!"

"You should have said something before then." Magellen said, shrugging his shoulders and farting at the same time. "It's too late for that now."

"No!" Rebecka cried, her face turning red. "No! I'm the bride! Do I not get a say in this!"

"As it is stated in the '_Marriage Ceremonies of the Pirate Era'_ that the bride has no say. At all." Said Mr. 3 appearing suddenly behind her.

"That's not fair!" Rebecka shouted as she jumped Mr. 3, her hands slowly strangling the life out of the wax man. She could have killed him but Drake just had to stop her.

"It's just how it is." He cooed, smashing her face against his chest. "Don't worry girl. It's not so bad. Sure he had no money, no job, no home and your fathers paid for this entire wedding, going broke in the process but hey! At least he's hot."

"Drake..." Rebecka said dangerously, her arms squeezing his until the blood circulation was cut off.

"Ah Rebecka dear... that hurts."

"I hate you."

"Thats..." Tears welled in Drake's eyes. His cool demeanor torn away to revel the shy, self conscious person inside. "Hawkins!" Drake ran from the alter, jumping into the arms of Basil Hawkins, sitting at the end of the first pew. "She's being a bitch again!"

"There, there." Hawkins comforted Drake, pulling a handkerchief from his coat pocket.

"I love you more and more." Kid said lovingly.

"I'm not marring you..."

"Pirate Law says 'screw you'"

Magellen grunted, getting their attention. He turned to Kid. "Do you, Eustass Kid take Rebecka Thornson as your wife for now and forever and ever."

"Hell yeah." Kidd smirked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She elbowed him harshly in the side. He chuckled in amusement.

"And Rebecka Thronson says 'I do'" Magellen announced, the whole room cheered.

Rebecka was appalled "I don't even get to say 'I do'?"

"Nope, Pirate law." Magellen shrugged his shoulders at her animosity. "You do get the choice of eating the first piece of cake."

This was going badly. She needed to get out of here, now.

"I now announce you-"

Rebecka lunged for the nearest candle holder. She rushed past Magellen, and swung with all her might at the glass windows. Shards of glass flew everywhere and the terrified crowd screamed. Her original plan involving more elegance. She stepped on the edge of the windows, the jagged glass cutting her dress.

The church was on a freaking cliff! Nothing but air between her and the ocean a hundred foot drop below. Kid was right behind her, his hand grasping her arm. He tried to pull her back, she swung her candle holder. The golden metal colliding with his nose.

He let her go and she lost her balance. She tottered dangerously on the edge, the candle holder slipped from her hands. Falling down to the ocean. Kid made another grab for her. She fell over the edge. He grasped the end of her dress. The white fabric tore and she plunged down, wind whipping her hair and dress.

This couldn't be happening! This couldn't be real. It could only be a-

"Dream" Rebecka's eyes snapped open. She was in seat 5-2, first class. The muffled hum of the plane engines boring into her ears. A man snored in the seat behind her. She was really there. She wasn't getting married to Eustass Kid. Thank god.

James muttered in his sleep in the seat beside her, a green blanket pulled up to his chin. Jerk, that was her blanket.

A stewardess hovered over her, tapping her black heeled foot. "Excuse me Miss? Your overhead luggage is too big for the compartment, I'm going to have to take it and put it in the back with all the other cargo.

"I was told that it was alright." Rebecka said cooly. All thoughts of the dream gone from her head. The stewardess gave her the stink eye. "Besides, I have valuables in that bag what I would like to not leave my sight."

"I'm sorry but it is against code and safety. I'm going to remove your bag." The blond haired woman reached up, standing on tip toe to open the overhead compartment. Rebecka pressed the button on her hand rest for assistance.

Another stewardess walked down the aisle. Saw the stewardess next to Rebecka and started to go back when Rebecka pressed the button again, looking right at her.

"Is there a problem?" The new stewardess asked, she had brown curly hair and her blue skirt was too short for her.

"Yes there is." Rebecka said. "I was told that my bag was okay and this woman here says it's not and is removing it without my consent."

The browned haired woman, the name 'Milley' on her name badge, tugged on the blonde stewardess shoulder. "Is this true?"

The blond woman, Joanna printed on her name tag, flipped out. "I told her it was against regulation and is a safety hazard. I'm taking it into the back where it wont be a problem."

Milley looked from the black bag in the overhead compartment, to Rebecka, then resting her gaze on Joanna. "It is okay Joanna. I know you are strict about these kinds of things." She leaned in, whispering. "You almost got sued by the last passenger you did this to, remember? If it weren't for the Captain intervening... he made you promise to be more respectful to passenger wishes."

To say that Joanna went mad was an understatement. The woman went bonkers.

"No! I'm sick and tired of people not obeying baggage regulations! I've been hit again and again by falling luggage and I'm tired of it! You!" She jabbed a finger into Rebecka's chest. "I will take your bag into cargo and you will like it!"

Where was the taser button when you need it, Rebecka thought dryly. "I think you need to take a rest. The air pressure must be affecting your judgment."

"You little bitch!" Joanna screeched, grabbing Rebecka's hair, and ripping it out.

James jumped over Rebecka, tackling the stewardess in the stomach. The woman screamed and fell backwards, falling into the lap of a startled man. Milley held James back before he attacked the woman again.

Aunt Poppy, sitting in the pair of seats before them turned around, pulling headphones out of her ears. "My gosh, James!" She smacked the boy across the head, shouting for him to get back into his seat. James tried to defend himself, that the stewardess was attacking Rebecka and he was trying to help her.

Aunt Poppy wouldn't hear a thing of it until she saw the bald spot on top Rebecka's head near the part line.

"Look here missy!"Aunt Poppy picked Joanna up, lifting her so they were eye to eye. "Your job is to be an assistant, to help people. You're not a barber!"

"Ma'am," Milley separated the two woman, gesturing for Aunt Poppy to take her seat. Two male flight attendants came down the aisle, grabbing Joanna by her elbows and escorting her away behind red curtains. Joanna screaming and kicking all the while. Milley, disappeared behind the red curtains on the opposite end of the aisle, coming back moments later with a navy blue pilots hat. "Here Miss, this should cover that..."

"Thank you." Rebecka gladly accepted the hat, putting in on. It was just slightly too big for her, but she didn't care.

"Damn bitch." James hissed when he sat down in his seat. He pulled her blanket over his head, huffing in anger.

"Why'd you attack her." Rebecka asked.

"She hurt you." James responded, his dark tone scaring her.

"You've never defended me. Last year you pushed me into Mr. Neggs yard and watched as his two pitbulls attacked me!"

"I'm sorry."

Rebecka choked. James never said he was sorry.

"For three years." She jerked the blanket off him. "Three years you treat me like trash. Degrading me, insulting me, harming me. You even hurt Kat! Now, all of a sudden you want to protect me? To be my shinning knight in armor? Do you want to be a hero? Is that what you want?"

James face softened, he reached out and grabbed her hand in his. "I want to protect you Becky. I always wanted to protect you. You were a real crybaby when you were younger. You'd come crying to dad every time you got hurt."

Dad. A lump formed in Rebecka's throat.

"And when he disappeared... you didn't cry. You did nothing, you were like a doll. Emotionless and empty."

That Sunday afternoon came back to her all too clear. Mom drove them home from Church, crying. Days passed and father never came home. Mom never said anything. She locked herself up in her room, leaving Rebecka and James to fend for themselves.

"I went to the store to buy food, and when I came home you were gone."

She was looking for her father.

"I called the police but they thought it was a prank call."

She searched everywhere, and never found him. So focused on her search she became lost and couldn't find her way home. She stumbled upon a park and hid in the monkey bars.

"You never came home and I thought something bad had happened. I searched for you on my own. I searched all night. I didn't find you until morning, snuggled up against Kathline."

"The first time we meet." Rebecka whispered, fighting her tears back. "She ran up to the monkey bars, panting. The front of her shirt soaked entirely in blood. I thought she was a demon. She said, 'you're just like me'. I cried so much. I cried for dad, for her. I cried until I had no tears left to cry."

The intercom turned on. "We will be landing at Berlin International Airport in one hour."

Milley came down the aisle. "Miss?" She tapped Rebecka on the shoulder. "You have a call."

Rebecka turned to James, her brother squeezed her hand.

"Would you please come with me. It's from a Mr. Schwartz."

"Don't answer it." James said quietly. A dark shadow fell across his face.

"I have to."

"No, you don't!"

"I want to know what they are planning. What their next move is. Their intentions. Know your enemy, that's how you win the battle."

"This isn't a battle." James growled, squeezing her hand just a little to tightly. "This is survival."

"I'm not going to run away."

"Miss." Milley spoke up, she couldn't hear the two teens discussion but by the looks on their faces it was serious.

"I'm going to China to solve this." Rebecka jerked her hand back. "I'm going to put and end to everything." She stood sharply, following Milley down the hallway. James was right behind her, muttering what a bad idea this was to himself.

Milley handed Rebecka the phone and left to give them privacy. Rebecka positioned the phone so the both of two of them could hear.

"Hello Rebecka." Came the Professors smooth voice. He didn't remind her of a jolly grandfather anymore. "Did you get Nathaniel's message?"

"Yes." Rebecka said. James gritted his teeth, biting back a remark.

"I have friends in high places Rebecka. Don't think you can run away forever."

"I'm not running away." Rebecka paused, uncertain. "Let's make a deal."

"My, my, a deal? What is going through that little mind of yours my dear?"

"One week. Let me have the book for one week and I'll hand it right over."

James gave her a look. He put his hand over the receiver and hissed, "What the hell are you saying?"

Rebecka glared at him. "We only need the book to break the curse."

Time and figures filled his mind. "Is a week enough?"

"I don't know."

Professor Schwartz interrupted them. "It's so fascinating." He laughed on the other end, it wasn't a pleasant, jolly laugh. There was something sinister behind it. "You and your friend Miss Kathline are so keen on protecting that book. Even taking it to China. Why? And why are you just giving it away after asking to keep it for one week?"

Rebecka had a suspicion. Something so outrageously impossible. "I think you know the answer to that."

James' eyes widened as realization came over him. "No, then he knows."

"That book is magic. It can create portals to other words." The professor confirmed. "I heard tales of such a book when I was in collage. I spent my whole life searching for it. And I finally found it, in the hands of two, weak girls.

"It was going to be so easy, I had thought. To trick two girls into handing over the book. But no, how god laughed at me. He fated the book to be in the hands of two very clever girls who not only protected it from me but figured out it's magic as well. How did you discover it?"

"Do we have a deal or not." Rebecka changed the subject. The professor chuckled.

"Why not. It makes things much easier for me. Though, expect a surprise in Berlin. I'm afraid I won't be able to get a hold of him to... inform him of this new development. Think of it as a test my dear."

"You're a sick old man." James snapped, slamming the receiver on the phone base.

"Idiot. We could have gotten more information from him."

"I'm going back." James left, and Milley came in.

"I want to make a quick call." Rebecka told her. Milley nodded her head and told her how to dial the phone to make international calls.

Rebecka punched in the numbers on the back of the phone and waited. A woman answered the phone on the other line.

"Pine Dale hospital."

"Hello, this is Rebecka Thornson. I would like to talk to my mother, Lillia Thornson. Patient number 4503."

"Just one second." The woman said and the phone rang again. It was picked up a few moments later.

"Hello?" Her mother answered, her voice softer than usual.

"Mom, it's me. Rebecka."

"Becky. I'm so glad to hear from you. Are you calling from China?"

"No, we're flying over Germany right now. We'll be landing at Berlin in half an hour."

"Germany." Her mother sighed, "I took german in high school. It's how I meet your..."

"How you meet dad? Yeah, I know."

"I'm in the same room as Kathline."

Rebecka giggled. "You finally got her name right!"

"She's like my second daughter. A mother should get her children's names right."

"Mom. I love you. And Kathline dose too, and James. Aunt Poppy loves you the most though, and she'll challenge anyone who says else wise. "

"Rebecka." Her mom said peacefully. "Why are you saying that so seriously? The doctors say I'll be just fine. There are police here protecting Kathline."

"It scared me so much when... he shot you."

"I was scared to Rebecka. It's okay."

"Mom... in case I die." It was a hard thing to say. "In case I don't make it, I wanted you to know that I love you and-"

"Don't say such things Rebecka. You are a beautiful, smart girl. I may not know what's going on, but I have complete faith in you. James too. He has a kind heart Rebecka. He hates to see you suffer. He tried to make you strong. He wanted to see you stand and walk on your own two feet. I love the both of you so much."

Rebecka sobbed, losing all control. Her mom wasn't the best mom in the world at times. But she had an unwavering faith. She loved her mother so much.

"Bye mom, I'll call again when we arrive in China. Tell Kat, that I'll save her. That I won't let her down."

"Goodbye Rebecka."

* * *

"You did well." Nathaniel clapped his hand's together.

Lillia Thornson closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "I wish I could have seen her face."

Nathaniel shook his head, "Now, now Mrs. Thornson. Don't get sentimental on me."

"Don't do this." She pleaded. "Don't do this to them."

"I have to finish what I started Mrs. Thornson."

"Kathline. Rebecka says to trust her. She'll save you. You really are a second daughter to me Kathline." Lillia watched the girl in the white bed beside her. Her heart monitor the only sound in the room. "You are so creative. I love all your stories. I'm envious of yours and Rebecka's talent.

Rebecka. Kathline. James." Lillia cried, her memories flooding her. All her mistakes, all her precious moments, sad moments, happy moments. She was drowning in them all. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to leave you alone. I never wanted to-"

Nathaniel pulled out his gun.

"-leave you this way."

And shot her through the heart.

"I was told to make it clear. We aren't cartoon villains. We mean business."

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: (crying over Lillia's death) How did this happen. I wanted to write about Rebecka getting along with her brother, finding a lost girl and arguing with an ex-whore begging for drugs but no, I had to kill her mom.

Big stuff planed. The endings, yes endings, are jolted down and it's going to be great!


	10. Can't seem to Catch a break

Tally Mai-chan: It's the big 1-0 chapter! Some five or four(?) chapters left. All depends on how much I change the story from here to then. It's pegged down for the most part. My dear OC's and Kid will be pushed to their limits. And will Kid have sex with a man? Only I know!

Also... I really didn't want to do this but I had too. Two (and a half) more cannon crew members make an official appearance in this chapter and I gave them names (I hate to name unnamed cannon people) so I hope they're acceptable. Bet (g)Oda didn't think they'd be so popular? Bet he'll use the names fan's gave them already.

One, last note of importance. (this just keeps getting longer)This whole mini-arc thing that I'm going into is similar-sorta-kinda-maybe-alike to the Thriller Bark saga , and I didn't notice until over half the chapter was written. So yes, it's alike(sorta if you squint your eyes) but I'm trying to keep it as original as humanly possible at this time.

Sorry for talking so much. ENJOY THE CHAPTER!

Chapter 10: Can't seem to Catch a break.

* * *

The roaring tiger branded onto her arm glowed. Kat sunk down into the hull of the ship where no one went unless necessary. The tiger, more than halfway outlined, glowed purple, casting mystical light into the dark hold. She noticed it's quick progression and foolishly denied it for days.

The light shimmered, and faded away. She released her breath, not aware of holding it. What did it mean? On the solstice the tattoo would fully outline and the curse would do some terrible thing, right? That's what she and Becky worked so hard to figure out. The solstice wasn't for another three months, so how?

The wood groaned under the stress of the ocean. The hull creaking as if in pain. Kat bit back a whimper and quickly floated up and out, through the deck. She did a 360, making sure the coast was clear. No perverted man in sight.

She floated a foot above the deck, the island tempting her. The ship was moored in a shallow bay on the other side of the island, a giant slab of rugged rock with hardy shrubs scattered across it. Birds were the island's only inhabitants and proved an easy meal for the hungry Kid Pirates.

She had actively participated in the crew's below deck discussions, eavesdropping from under neath the table. The ship was wrecked, and wouldn't hold up in long ocean travel. Especially with the unpredictable weather of the the open ocean in the Grand Line. Their food and water were on limited supply. Even with the birds on the island for fast food, the prospect of scurvy wasn't far from everyone's minds. Water would have to be gathered from any rain they get.

She hung out on deck, watching the flag curl in the breeze. It's been a day since they first landed. Everyone out catching birds for dinner. The lack of male presence was a miracle. Ever since she lost her pants they had turned into wolves. Sure, before they just ignored her, now it was non-stop sexual harassment. Boarder-line intolerable as it was, it wasn't so terrible as the treatment given to her by-

"Hey panty girl, where'd you disappear to?"

Kat soared over the side of the ship, attempting getting away before he could catch her, but he was faster. She cleared the side, and he snatched her by the ankle. Flopping against the side of the ship she swore every word she knew, even adding a few new one's she learned courtesy of Kid.

He grinned down at her, deciding what he was going to do now that he got her. There were so many tempting things.

"Let me go you son ova bitch!" She wailed, pulling at his fingers.

"I just wanted so see your pretty face." He said, hulling her up and over the edge, causally dropping her on deck. Kat swore, giving Kid a dark, vengeful glare.

"I don't want to see your ugly mug." She sassed.

"That hurts." Kid said, leaning on the rail of the ship. "You shouldn't hurt a pirate. You never know what they might do." He advanced upon her and she skirted to the side, floating up into the sails. Kid watching her go with pseudo pain.

"What are you guys going to do." She asked seriously. He and everyone else were in deep trouble and he's acting like it's any other day. Did he even have a plan? "Without the log post you're basicly crippled on the Gran Line."

"I don't need to hear that from you." Kid's growled, his good mood fouled. He sat down against the mast, looking up at the sky. "Shit. I didn't come this far just to- As soon as the others get back were setting sail."

"What? That's crazy!" Kat dropped halfway down the mast. "I didn't save you so you could go kill yourself again!"

Kid was furious. "I didn't become a pirate so I could die on some shitty rock! I didn't sail across the Grand Line to stop halfway. The log post is gone. So what. It won't stop me."

Kat felt the uncontainable rage pouring out of him. His eyes so murderous, she didn't want to challenge him. Not when he was like that. He looked away from her, focusing on the island. She took her chance, and slipped up into the crow's nest to hide. She had forgotten how scary Kid could be. How awful it felt to have someone angry at you.

* * *

Crazy. They were all crazy. Kat watched from the crows nest as the pirates prepared the ship for the open sea, rigging the sails and doing last minute repairs to the ship. She was sure Killer would say something about this crazy plan but no, the first mate agreed.

An exasperated sigh escaped her. It's not like she was worried, well okay, she was. Only because her life was bound to Kid's. Only because.

The ship groaned as the wind filled the sails and pulled steadily away from shore. She could see the patches on the side of hull, like scabs over open wounds. The ship was important to Kid, she could tell by the way he did most of the repairs himself. She was tempted to ask but afraid that Kid was still angry at her.

Thus ensued the boredom of the open sea. The rock island has disappeared behind the horizon and vast blue ocean spread out before her. Nothing for miles, and miles, and miles, but blue, deep, endless ocean.

Killer climbed into the crows nest, acknowledging her with a glance. "What are you up here for." The man questioned, sitting on the edge of the nest.

"Hiding." Kat said, forfeiting pride.

"Heh, so it was you who pissed Kid off."

If she couldn't talk to Kid then maybe Killer could give her some info. "Why didn't you question him, sailing without a log post. He would have listened to you."

Killer was amiable with his response. "It is the captain that decides where the ship sails. The crew makes it happen. That is the rule of the sea."

"I didn't know you were such a deep person." Kat teased, finding herself relaxing a little. "but I guess I makes sense."

"You guess?"

"It's logical... How did you guys get this ship?"

Killer considered her for a second. The wind picked up, and dark clouds gathered above them. A stormed brewed over them.

"Luck. It's Kid's first ship as a captain and it's important to us."

"That doesn't tell me much." Kat was disappointed by Killer's explanation but wouldn't disclose any more details.

The storm passed in minutes, but their trouble was far from over. In it's place came a blizzard, sweeping the deck of the ship with a coat of snow. The waters churned and ice formed on the sails and rope.

"Shit!" Killer hissed, holding onto the edge of the nest.

The ship tottered on it's side, the waves knocking it back and forth. A sharp _snap_ cut through the air. Shortly followed by more snaps. Kat couldn't figure out what it was until someone shouted.

"The ropes are breaking! All the ropes are breaking!"

The rigging of the ship fell apart, half the main sail lose and whipping through the air. Killer ducked down as the sail flew up and wrapped around the crows nest. Killer pulled out his scythes to cut his way through when that was it. No more wind, no more violent ocean waves. Nothing.

The ocean was still all too quickly. Warm sunlight shone down on them, melting the accumulated snow on the deck. Killer collapsed inside the nest, muttering to himself. Kat decided to give him some space, a very dark aura hung about him. She floated to the side of the ship. Already the carefully patch work on the ship was failing.

Kid leaned over the rail, assessing the damage. "Shit. It's not going to hold." He caught sight of her her. "What are you doing."

"Same as you." Kat floated up, making sure to stay out of his reach. "Another storm could be the end of the ship."

Kid glared at her, "Thanks for pointing out the obvious."

Killer and a few others worked on the main sail, unfurling it from the top of the crows nest and replacing all the rope. Everything was fixed and ready in a few hours. She went back to the crows nest and found Eddie there, taking his turn

When Kat first came on the ship she recognized some of the crew from what she read in the manga or saw in the anime. Eddie, the voodoo doll one with blue hair and Komori the holy crap he's tall guy. Seriously, he's tall! He was twice her height and looked so damn gloomy all the time. He made her want to buy him ice cream or something, or a balloon.

"Killer couldn't handle it huh?" She said casually. Eddie was silent. She figured as much, he wasn't much of a talker. "Whatever."

"You should get some pants."

A vein throbbed on Kat's forehead. Of course the one thing he says to her has to be perverted. "Oh jeez, I didn't notice. It's just that I go around in my underwear _all_ the time."

"It doesn't look proper."

"So you're calling me a slut."

"Ah... yes."

Kat face palmed.

* * *

The day had passed by too slowly for Kat's liking. She found some entertainment by the crew taking their turn in the crows nest. When not fighting or being perverted discussing men, deep, deep, really deep down they were okay people. Diamonds in the rough if you will.

She enjoyed it until the captain took his turn as look out.

"I heard you were hiding up here. I thought you'd be under my bed or something."

"That's my back up."

Kid shrugged his fur coat tighter against his body, telling Kat it was a cold night. Stars shimmered quietly in the dark night sky. Back home it was never dark enough to see starts this clearly. There was always so much light pollution no matter where you went.

"Your mark glowing?" Kid asked, turning his arm to her. His mark faintly glowing through the white bandages wrapped around his right arm.

"It did this morning." He was still angry with her, she could tell by the way he looked at her.

An awkward silence filled the space between them. The crows nest was small, with just enough room for two people to fit inside of with relative comfort. Kat wanted to run away. She couldn't deal with confrontation. It was too hard, she never said the right things and, and.

No! Okay, so if she runs off what happens next? She just keeps running until Kid just forgets about it? She doubted that would happen. Dammit, it was time to face up. If she wanted any chance of convincing Kid to have sex with a man then she needed to be on his good side. Becky would agree if she was here.

"I- I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to speak against you. I guess I was being selfish. I was being selfish before too, when I cursed you. Gah, why am I being all emotional and crap. I'm really sorry okay!"

Dammit. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She blinked them back, hiding her face in her arms. Death was preferable to Kid seeing her cry again. She didn't want him to be mad at her, it was unbearable.

"Shut up." Kid tensed across from her, pressing his chin into his palm. "You sound stupid."

Kat did a double take. At first glance Kid looked even more pissed off but there was something... Was he, no. There was no way. Could he? Could he be... embarrassed? No way, she studied him carefully. His face turned away from her, looking like he was pouting. He was. She had to point it out. _Had to_. Ah but what if he got mad at her again. No, it wouldn't be worth it.

He was embarrassed by her apology. There was no other explanation. The big bad pirate, pouting because he was embarrassed. She made sure to hide her smug face. A giggle escaped her.

"What's your problem." Kid snapped, his mouth twitching. God, he _was_ embarrassed. She just couldn't say it enough.

Eustass Kid was embarrassed!

"Well! What's so funny!" He demanded grabbing the front of her tank top.

"I was just thinking how funny Killer would look with pink hair."

"Phhffft-Hahaha!" Kid released her, breaking into near hysterical laughter. "God, he'd look like a gay faggot."

"See!" She laughed, her reputation as the queen of liars still intact. "It's so... hey, look at that." Before the ship was a mass of white looming eerily in the distance. A wall of fog or mist extending from the ocean to sky.

The opaque fog, luminous in the bleak night, welcomed the ship. With nether a creak or groan the ship voyaged through, an alien in a white world. The mist swept across the ship, painting it white. The hull, deck and even the sails, painted away. Sitting there in the crows nest left Kat with a lonely feeling. Like she and Kid were the only two people in the whole world.

"It's pretty." She breathed.

"It's freezing. What's the deal with this fog, it's like it's day or something." He wrapped his fur coat tighter. Droplets of mist collecting on his coat and his face and hair. The cold mist swirled in silence. The ship suddenly jolted to the left, colliding into massive black blotch. The blotch, twice the size of the ship, quivered, a pointed serpentine head rushing through the mist towards them.

Kat hardly had the air to scream when a scaly head as long as her body cut through the mist and snapped it's wide jaws around her. The beast pulled back, disappointed to find nothing between it's jaws. It's large silted, yellow eyes locked with hers.

She knew what it was thinking. It was thinking she was food but it couldn't eat her. It could see her but it can't eat her. Finn-like ears flopped lazily against the side of it's head. A black tongue darted out between it's lips, trying to taste her.

The sea snake lost interest in her, vanishing into the fog.

"Hehe, shit! I thought that thing was going to go after me when it figured it couldn't eat you." Kid chuckled.

"This mist is dangerous... we couldn't see a thing that size until it was right upon us." It made her shiver at the thought.

"This couldn't be..." Kid leaned forward, staring into the mist. "The never ending mist. Oi! Wake up!" Kid shouted as he jumped over the edge of the crows nest, swallowed by the msit. She followed him down, watching as the crew came up deck, Killer in the lead.

"What's going on?" Kat asked Kid.

Kid ignored her. "Hey Killer, what you make of this mist."

Killer glanced around them, in their bubble of clear air,the side rails, and bow of the ship just visible. "Is it morning already?"

"No, it was dark when we sailed into this fog, for ten minutes maybe."

Killer nodded. "It can't be the Florian Triangle, that's the stretch of ocean just before Fishman Island, our first step to reaching the New World. So it has to be... the Udodelig Skodde. A gargantuan cloud that never moves. There are myths of a floating country said to wonder aimlessly in the cloud."

"A floating country?" Kat said excitedly. The Grand Line was so awesome. What if it was like Sky Island? A place that everyone thought didn't exist but was always there. It sounded thrilling, like a a real adventure.

"Though no one who ever found this 'country' ever lived to tell about it. From what I've heard it's a country of demons."

Kat blanched. "D-d-d-d-demons? You didn't just say demons did you?"

"Ha! A country of demons, seems like my kind of place." Kid grinned. "No one has found it huh, it's settled then. We're going to find this demon country and maybe shake hands with the devil himself!"

"Hey, we can't get excited." Killer shouted over the cheers of the crew. Kid gave an annoyed snarl. "The ship is damaged. Another big storm could sink us."

"Eh, but if we go the next island then we might not be able find this place again." Komori spoke up.

"Eh but if this is a cloud then we shouldn't have to worry about storms." The guy with a mohawk pointed out.

"It's Master Kid's call." Eddie added, the rest of the crew nodding in agreement. Killer said something like that earlier didn't he? Kat thought. It was the crews job to take the captain where he wanted to go.

Kid grinned, as if he was waiting for them to question him. "Are you saying you don't want to? You want to get the ship fixed, to have security? There is no 'safe' choice in the Grand Line. And there's no security. Go after what's right before you. Right now Demon Island is in out sights, because if we don't have the nerve to chase after what we want then we have no place on this ocean!

Killer shook his head, "Hot headed, but heh, well put Kid."

"Captain! Boss!" The crew shouted, pumping their fists into the air.

Kat watched the crew celebrate, stupefied. She never would have taken Kid as the motivational speaker type. Then again, to be a captain you had to have some charisma, or no one would follow you. She turned away from the boisterous group, staring into the mist. For a second, she thought she heard... no. It was impossible.

Kat floated out into the mist, listening hard. After a few moments she gave up when she heard it again. She wasn't hearing things. "Guys be quiet! There's something out there!"

"What?" Was the collective response of the group.

She floated back to the ship, "If you'd listen for a moment then you'd hear it!"

Everyone quieted down, straining their ears to heard this strange sound. Killer heard it first.

"Is that... singing?" He questioned, everyone nodding their heads when they heard it too.

Kat listened again. It was a low, vague sound like a mass singing in church. The sound rose and died away like the rumble of a wave splashing against the shore.

Kid took the wheel of the ship, "It's coming from other there," He pointed to the left of the ship, turning the wheel. "I think, we found our island."

"Demons." Kat dropped through the air, stopping halfway through the deck. "demons..." She repeated, her face losing more and more color.

"We're not moving Boss!" Komori shouted from the rail of the ship. The mist grew thicker, no one could see further than a foot in front of their own faces. There was a 'oompf!' as two people collided on deck.

Kid rushed the railing, looking down over the side. "Shit! Are we stuck on something?"

"Sea Kings!" Eddie shouted from the bow of the ship.

Chaos erupted. Kat cowered against the back of the lower deck. The head of an aqua green sea serpent lashed through the air, snapping at a human shadow in the mist. For several minutes they fought against the serpents, winning nothing but injuries.

"They're retreating!" Killer shouted above her for the upper deck.

"Shit, this mist is making it impossible to do anything." Kid joined him.

"Why are they retreating?" Killer questioned.

Kid shrugged his worry off. "Who cares, they're gone."

"I think we're still stuck." Komori run up to the upper deck. "We can't see what, Guy thinks we're stuck on a sand bar."

"Hey girl." Kid shouted to her. "Go and see what we're stuck on."

"I have a name." Kat snapped.

"Kitty, right?" Kid smirked.

"It's Kathline! Kat for short but only Becky can call me that!"

"Yeah, whatever kitty, go and see what we're stuck on."

"I hope you go bald." Kat cursed, pointing at him.

She sunk right through the ship, dropping through the very bottom into the water. Stumbling through the darkness she floated into open ocean. The ship was caught on what looked like a big, twisted rock. But that couldn't be right, the rock was twisted like a coil spring. Glancing down the side of the ship the top of the rock stood straight out at a 90 degree angle, bobbing up and down, two long fins on either side.

It wasn't a rock. It was a sea king! She glanced around anxious. Just how big was this thing, the ocean looked deep here, maybe half a mile or so. Murky ocean water hid the rest of the creature and the ocean bottom from her. Against better judgment she floated down for a better look.

Twenty feet down she could see it's head. To put it's sheer size into perspective, the ship could easily fit in it's eye. It was the King of all sea kings. Kat scrambled up after first seeing and comprehending it's massive size. There was no way the ship could last in a fight against that thing!

Bubbles gushed out from two slit nostrils. Kat came back down, her curiosity clouding her judgment. Was it sleeping? Going as close as she dared she watched the king snake sleep. A fin ear twitched, she flinched. It was sleeping.

The ocean was clearer than the air above and she could see for miles around near the ocean surface. Many sea snakes twisted through the water, more interested in each other than the pirate ship invading their waters. She checked around where the ship was caught in the snake. The bow pressing into the side of the snake at the very top of it's coil. There was no way of simply pushing it down to get over it, their only option was to back straight out.

She cast a glance down, willing the snake into deeper slumber. Back on deck she explained everything she saw to Kid and the rest. They were less than thrilled.

"Shiiit!" Guy cried, tearing at his mohawk. "What are we going to do against a thing that size!"

"What about the oars?" Komori suggested.

"Theirs only four and all that splashing might attract unwanted attentino."

"It was sleeping?" Killer asked her. She nodded.

"Yeah, it's eyes were closed and bubbles were coming up out of it's nose."

He nodded. "And there were more of those snakes?"

"Yeah, like twenty or so."

The ship lurched back, knocking everyone over. Another jerk knocked the ship back thirty feet. Grim realization made Kat's heart skip a beat. She wasn't the only one to get what was going on.

"Is it waking up?" Kid swore under his breath, holding on to a rail for support. "Get ready to fight!"

The ship drifted back several feet. The water smooth as glass. A dreadful, tense silence filled the air as they waited for the serpent to come. Hazy mist swirled around them, cutting their already limited vision by half. The mist smothering all sounds.

Kat trembled in the mist, unable to see or hear anyone, and it scared her.

"Hey." She said, her voice no more than the weak whisper. "H-hey." She said again, a little stronger. "Where is-"

She floated through Eddie, startling him.

"Ah!... Kathline, it's just you." He sighed, visibly relaxing. "I can hardly see you."

She stumbled for the right words to explain herself. "I-I'm scared shitless right now. Please, please, please let me stay with you."

"Uh... okay..."

She could hug him. "Thank you soooooo much."

"This fog, mist, or whatever is odd."

She bobbed her head in agreement.

A gentle swish of water, so subtle that it almost went unnoticed.

"Did you hear that?" Eddie asked her. They were standing against the wall that separated the upper and low decks of the ship, only a few feet from the rail.

"Y-yeah. Is it those serpents again? Maybe you should back away from the rail."

"I agree." Eddie turned to put space between him and the rail when something scraped against the side of the ship. A black, human shape mass jumped over the rail, followed by three others. They took one look at Eddie and her floating half a foot off the ground.

Four in all they whispered to each other, pointing to Eddie then her.

"H-hey!" Eddie shouted, getting over the initial shock of the intruders. "What are you-"

The rushed him at once, grabbing him by the arms and legs and hulling him over the side of the ship. Kat screamed, unable to stop them as they took Eddie. She screamed for help, something, someone was kidnapping Eddie!

Others shouted to her through the mist, too wary to start running around in the fog. Kat leaped over the side of the ship, following the men down. They had pulled Eddie into a black mass resembling a boat, but it didn't look quite right. The bow was distorted, and the sail thin and long.

She paused in the air, looking from Eddie to the ship. They were already pulling away, riding the ocean current into the unknown haze.

"Kat..." She heard her name shouted, and glanced up. "Follow... them." The person shouted. Their voice too muffled and the mist too thick for her to tell who it was. Not wasting a second she followed after the ship from below the water.

The monster sea king slumbered peacefully under the Kid Pirate's ship. It's tail twitching. At least it was happy, taking a nice nap, she thought bitterly. Stupid snake.

She surfaced beside the ship at water level, Eddie leaning over the side face down.

"Hey, Eddie." She hissed, his eyes were closed and his arms appeared to be bound behind his back. "Eddie! Eddie!"

The mist cleared and a chorus of over a thousand voices sang. A island five, no ten times the size of Kid's ship loomed in the haze. The small vessel rowing up to it's side, vanishing.

Kat stood frozen above the water. Monsters of every kind glared at her. From bestial demons to winged monsters with long curved beaks. Creatures with claws, teeth and glowing red eyes. The chorus of deep ,solemn voices grew stronger, building to its climax.

Kat couldn't scream, she was too terrified to even utter a sound.

Demon Island.

* * *

Tally Mai-chan: If you think it's cool to NOT leave a review then you are WRONG. Fictional testing shows that on average, people who review on stories that certain authoress stay up till midnight writing gain a cool-ness factor of up to 300 percent!

Facts don't Lie. So be cool and REVIEW.


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